State School Board To Discuss Title IX

The Mississippi Department of Education has called a special teleconference with all board members to discuss the recent Title IX federal guidance that calls on all public schools in the country to allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms in line with their gender identity.
This comes after State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright was asked to change her position on the issue. She originally said the department of education would comply with federal guidelines, but after a handful of state lawmakers called on her to retract her statement or resign, Dr. Wright then said her department would follow state leadership until the full Board of Education could meet and discuss the issue.
Governor Phil Bryant was the first to call on the department of education to disregard the directive from the Obama administration and says Dr. Wright’s original statement was a rash decision. “I think that decision was made unilaterally without talking to board members, without involving the board that she works for and so that was a mistake on her part. I think now she’s looked at the leadership of the board and hopefully the leadership of the governor’s office and the Senate and the House to capitulate to a federal threat and that’s all it is, a federal threat that has no force of law behind it. That’s not the thing the state superintendent should be doing. She should be working with Dr. Kelly, who is chairman of the board, and the other board members before making these decisions on her own.”
While Governor Bryant did not say whether he believes Dr. Wright should resign or not, he did say she answers to the board selected by a number of elected officials.
The Board of Education’s teleconference will be on Tuesday afternoon.