But Monday afternoon, district staff learned its policies have been pulled for review.
In the meantime, some grant funds the district was expecting are being withheld.
The policy changes would have added more discrimination and harassment protection for students, including on the basis of gender identity and transgender status.
School Board attorney Wes Bridges said the OCR and DOJ did not say the move was related to the “Dear Colleague” letter released earlier this month by the Department of Education and Department of Justice that explains how school districts should accommodate and support their transgender students.
However, he said he thinks they may use it to try to force Polk and other districts to comply with the letter, which said transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom of their gender identity. He said the timing could be coincidental, but he thinks that is unlikely.
“The clear inference is the Department of Justice will hold it ( grant funds ) until they are convinced we are compliant with everything they want us to be compliant with,” Bridges said.
Board members had many questions about how much federal funding the district might be risking and whether they should be doing anything in response.
Bridges told the School Board his advice would be to do nothing right now and instead to wait and see how courts rule in the question of school bathroom access for transgender students.
When the letter was released to superintendents, the Polk County School District said it would comply with law and that the legal department was reviewing the issue. Polk Schools’ discrimination policy under review by federal agencies; grants withheldMay 24, 2016 6:18 PM
BARTOW The Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice have pulled Polk’s harassment and discrimination policies for review. But Monday afternoon, district staff learned its policies have been pulled for review.
In the meantime, some grant funds the district was expecting are being withheld.
The policy changes would have added more discrimination and harassment protection for students, including on the basis of gender identity and transgender status.
School Board attorney Wes Bridges said the OCR and DOJ did not say the move was related to the “Dear Colleague” letter released earlier this month by the Department of Education and Department of Justice that explains how school districts should accommodate and support their transgender students.
However, he said he thinks they may use it to try to force Polk and other districts to comply with the letter, which said transgender students should be allowed to use the restroom of their gender identity. He said the timing could be coincidental, but he thinks that is unlikely.
“The clear inference is the Department of Justice will hold it ( grant funds ) until they are convinced we are compliant with everything they want us to be compliant with,” Bridges said.
Board members had many questions about how much federal funding the district might be risking and whether they should be doing anything in response.
Bridges told the School Board his advice would be to do nothing right now and instead to wait and see how courts rule in the question of school bathroom access for transgender students.
When the letter was released to superintendents, the Polk County School District said it would comply with law and that the legal department was reviewing the issue.
