Transgender Bathroom Debate Reaches Pine-Richland High School

GIBSONIA (KDKA) -- There was a divide in the Pine-Richland High School auditorium Monday evening.

"I don't understand why this big debate is going on," one man said. "And why the do the special needs of a few have to be imposed on the privacy of many?"

Many parents expressed concern about the safety and privacy of their children because of a new practice being implemented by the school superintendent, Brian Miller, without board approval. It allows transgender students to use the bathroom they identify with, regardless of their anatomy.

There are now at least three transgender students attending school in the District.

"Has anything been done with Mr. Miller, who made this decision, obviously, by himself?" one person asked.

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Several students said they thought the concern surrounding the transgender issue was unnecessary.

"Transgender students are no different than any other child. They simply want an education," one student said.

Ericka, who stated she was once a male said, "I am a young woman and I am no different than anyone else in this room."

In the school, transgender students have been able to use a private bathroom such as one in the nurse's office, a single room unisex bathroom, or the bathroom of their gender identity.

Omar Gonzales-Pagan, a lawyer representing transgender individuals, said if the District reverses its current practice, it could very well end up in court.

"Pine-Richland has been treating all students the same way for years. They have been accepting and respecting the gender identity of their transgender students as they have to by law," Gonzales-Pagan said.