Dive Brief:
- NPR profiles the upcoming bathroom law case that will come before the Supreme Court, which could create implications for college students and administration in the future.
- Observers say that the high court's decision could reverse or alter the Department of Education's guidance on interpretations of discrimination under Title IX law, which could create new standards for enforcement and funding.
- Skeptics say that many systems are attempting to play off fears that self-identification will serve as a cover for "a male predator in a dress that wants to prey on kids" — a philosophy that greatly contributes to misunderstanding and phobia.
Dive Insight:
In North Carolina where bathroom laws have earned national attention, the Supreme Court's ruling could dramatically shift law and expenditures for colleges campuses, even those which suggest they will refuse to abide by the state's laws.
Given the level of student protest and acrimony over political correctness on college campuses today, there is a prevailing sense that leaders will have to make student attitudes and political reaction a priority in student engagement, regardless of the court's outcome or the mandates it could create for schools to be federally compliant and eligible for funding.