(The Center Square) – An Illinois law that mandates that students must be permitted access to bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity is getting national attention.
A northern Illinois mother who says her daughter was forced to change clothes in front of a transgender classmate traveled to Springfield Thursday to tell her story. Nicole Georgas of Deerfield filed a complaint with the Justice Department following the incident in the girl’s locker room.
Georgas said her daughter, who attends Shepard Middle School, was terrified by the incident, and said she also filed a police report. A video of her discussing the incident at a city council meeting went viral last week.
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, represents part of Lake County. He said he has heard complaints from dozens of families on this issue.
“What these families are worried about is progressive, passive discrimination,” McLaughlin said at a news conference Thursday. “Suddenly a student won’t be making the dance team, suddenly a captain on the basketball team will be benched, this is what’s happening when these students don’t go along with the agenda, and it’s wrong.”
A Republican lawmaker mentioned the Deerfield incident on the House floor Tuesday, which brought a response from state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield.
“It’s a lie, so the next time a representative wants to talk about other districts, I understand he may be ashamed, and frankly probably should be,” said Morgan.
Georgas said she has audio evidence of the incident and was disappointed by Morgan’s comments.
“Frankly, I was embarrassed for him because it was shocking,” said Georgas. “He doesn’t have children that go to Shepard, how would he know specific things that would call it a lie. It was embarrassing and it was shameful.”
Georgas said Linda McMahon, U.S. Secretary of Education, called her and said the incident is being investigated.
“We don’t care if it’s one, two or three people,” said state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City. “Number one, we don’t know that. It needs to be zero people, OK, that’s the bottom line.
