D20 officials say they’re prepared to defend their position in transgender athlete policy debate

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Academy District 20 is now the latest school district in Colorado to take formal action in a growing statewide debate over transgender policies in athletics and student facilities.

This week, the D20 school board voted to join a federal lawsuit challenging Colorado's current rules and passed a resolution directing the district to define sports, bathroom, and locker room access based on a student's biological sex.

Board President Amy Shandy tells KRDO13 the decision isn’t about politics, but what she calls a commitment to fairness, privacy, and safety for all students.

"We're just taking our duty to our community very seriously… protecting all of our students - for fairness, privacy, and safety," Shandy said.

The board approved two separate motions:

• One to join the lawsuit originally filed by District 49, which argues that Colorado’s guidance on transgender athletes violates Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education.
• A second is directing district staff to draft new policies based on biological sex, not gender identity, when it comes to athletic participation and facility access.

"There are definitely students who don't feel safe - whether it's in the locker rooms, in the bathrooms, or on sports teams," Shandy said.

D20 now joins both District 49 in El Paso County and District 70 in Pueblo, which have also taken formal legal action over what they call conflicting state and federal mandates.

Currently, CHSAA - the Colorado High School Activities Association - allows transgender students to compete on teams that align with their gender identity. But Shandy argues that this puts districts in a legal gray area.

"It’s a major move to resolve growing conflicts between state mandates and federal mandates - under the protection of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX," she said.

Shandy emphasized that the move is not about excluding any students, but about making sure all students feel protected.

"Even though it's this is mostly focused on keeping boys and girls sports, it goes it does go both ways," Shandy said.

As of now, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office has not filed a response to the pending lawsuit.

D20 officials say they’re prepared to defend their position in court and believe other districts may soon follow.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.