Massapequa, New York School District fights for transgender bathroom policy
Massapequa sued New York State in response
Photo courtesy of Glittering Pillars/Wikimedia Commons
Massapequa School District has attempted to enforce a policy requiring students to use bathrooms that correlate with their gender assigned at birth. In September, it was announced that the Massapequa’s school board had unanimously approved the policy and it would be implemented that school year. Transgender students would be allowed to ask for accommodations, such as gender-neutral locker rooms or bathrooms, but are prohibited from entering the locker rooms or bathrooms that do not correlate with their biological sex.
The Oct. 9, 2025 board meeting where the protocol was first introduced to parents and community members had over 200 people in attendance. Parents are divided on the matter, with some questioning if there was a particular incident that sparked this protocol. Kerry Watcher, Massapequa Board of Education President, has adamantly supported the change, arguing that it is not discriminatory and rather protects the privacy of students.
Watcher said,“We were vindicated on the masks, we believe we will be vindicated on the mascot and I believe we will be vindicated on this as well…We are standing on the right side of the law and the right side of what’s best for our kids.” Watcher is referencing an ongoing dispute over the schools’ mascot—the Massapequa Chiefs. Massapequa School District has been fighting to keep their mascot amid the New York State Board of Regents’ 2023 decision to ban “Native American-related mascots, team names, and logos in public schools,” according to CBS.
Emma Hulse, education counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), said, “This transphobic resolution flagrantly violates New York laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. It is also an affront to our shared values. All students have a right to safe, inclusive learning environments, and trans students are no different.” The NYCLU has pursued a civil lawsuit “on behalf of a transgender student, who the civil rights group claimed has been singled out and forced into uncomfortable, separate facilities,” as stated by the New York Post.
Watcher responded, “I want to be clear: we’re not discriminating. Rather, we seek to address the needs of all students and ensure that every child in our school feels safe, supported, and respected.” She reiterated that “We have taken this legal action because we believe it’s the right thing to do for all students.”
The Massapequa Board passed the resolution last month as they stated, “...all students shall be required to use facilities-including restrooms and locker rooms-that correspond with the students’ sex as defined under Title IX and federal law…any student who requests an alternative arrangement shall be provided access to a designated gender-neutral facility, but shall not be permitted to use facilities designated for the opposite sex.”
Watcher’s response received strong applause from the present crowd, but there is still a significant number of people who disagree with this sentiment.
New York State’s Education Department has recently ruled that the Massapequa School District “could not enforce its transgender bathroom policy,” according to News12. In response, Massapequa has decided to pursue legal action against the state, which they announced on Oct. 21.