Transgender Students and School Bathrooms

Independent schools, like their public school counterparts, are considering how to best serve an increasingly diverse student population. For schools serving transgender and gender-expansive students, the question of how to best meet students’ basic needs has proven to be a complex inquiry, one that traverses wide-ranging social, emotional, legal, religious, privacy, and ethical positions. Many educators, parents, and families have grappled with the implications of transgender students using bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. And as these discussions take place, the daily experiences of students are affected.

Many independent schools have welcomed and are effectively serving transgender students; some independent schools have even become models for educational policy and practice in supporting transgender students. Yet other schools have become mired in controversy that all too often focuses on bathroom use. Therefore, NAIS is releasing the following “FAQs” resource about transgender and gender-expansive students using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.

This guide, developed in partnership with Gender Spectrum, is designed to help you frame the discussion of bathroom and other facilities use so you can enter the conversation with confidence.

Read the full guide: Transgender Students and School Bathrooms

Additional Resources