West Fargo Public Schools Business Manager Levi Bachmeier. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
(. North Dakota Monitor) – Schools don’t see all-gender bathrooms as a problem, West Fargo Public Schools Business Manager Levi Bachmeier told state lawmakers.
The North Dakota Senate is considering passing House Bill 1144, which would make unisex bathrooms illegal in K-12 public schools.
Proponents of the bill say the proposal is necessary to protect students’ privacy.
“I believe this bill is urgently needed because of the environment that we have children in now, women and girls have valid concerns about privacy and safety in independent spaces,” said Linda Thorson, state director of Concerned Women for America of North Dakota.
Originally, the bill stated that all bathrooms “must be designated for use exclusively for males or exclusively for females,” and prohibited multi-stall gender neutral restrooms.
An amendment to the proposal adopted by the House also forbids all-gender single-occupancy restrooms. If adopted into law, the bill would make it illegal for male and female restrooms to share a communal sink or entry area, as well.
