Illinois lawmakers may soon take up the controversial question of which bathrooms should be used by transgender students.
A measure filed by State Representative Tom Morrison, a Republican from Palatine, would require schools to make sure students use bathrooms matching the sex listed on their birth certificates.
He says schools could provide other accommodations, such as single-occupant restrooms, if parents request it in writing.
"We want every student to have access to a restroom during the school day. We want every student to have access to a private place to change for PE. That's what we want, and that's what this bill provides."
Morrison drafted his bill in response to a situation in a Palatine high school, where a transgender student filed a complaint about being barred from the girls' locker room. She was allowed access after the federal Department of Education warned the school it was violating the student’s civil rights.