9-Year-Old Girl in Boys’ Bathroom Angers Parents in Howell

The father of three boys in Howell says he's angry because school administrators are letting a 9-year-old girl use the boys' bathroom at Southwest Elementary School.

Matt Stewart tells the Detroit Free Press that his 9-year-old son and other boys were told to "stand closer to the urinals" while the girl was using the boys' restroom. The same school employee told the girl "to look at the wall."

Stewart says he'll be keeping all three of his sons home from school until administrators in Howell are able to come with a policy that keeps his children from being humiliated or intimidated.

“The bottom line: A 9-year-old girl is in the boys' bathroom with my son,” he said, adding, "There is no precaution to keep the girl from walking out of a stall and seeing a male classmate urinating."

School board President Michael Yenshaw notes that the matter doesn't present an immediate threat to the public safety of the district. Privacy laws prevent school officials from discussing whether or not the 9-year-old girl is transgender.

Michigan schools have been grappling with creating policies regarding transgender students' bathroom use since the Michigan Department of Education recently released new guidelines regarding LGBTQ students.