The Utah State Board of Education has announced that the implementation of the controversial new bathroom bill, HB 257, will be left up to the school districts. This decision comes after the Salt Lake City School District faced pushback from parents and questions from KSL NewsRadio regarding how they planned to present the new bill to students.
Initially, the Salt Lake City School District had planned to hold public presentations on the new bathroom bill, but ultimately decided to cancel them in favor of working with impacted students one-on-one. This approach aligns more closely with what the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Kera Birkeland, had intended all along.
In a recent interview with Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News, Birkeland expressed confusion over the initial approach taken by the Salt Lake City School District, stating that broadcasting gender ideology to all students may not be the best way to handle the situation. She emphasized the importance of considering what is best for the students when implementing the new bill.
The Utah State Board of Education clarified that they had not provided any guidance on how the information should be presented and that it was ultimately up to the school districts to decide what is best for their students. The law is set to go into effect on May 1, 2024.
This development highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the new bathroom bill and the varying approaches taken by different school districts in Utah.