Jeffco schools stands by trans student protections
Federal government set Monday deadline, threatened to cut funding
Colorado’s second-largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, is standing by policies aimed at protecting transgender students despite pressure from federal authorities.
The U.S. Department of Education found earlier this month that the school district’s policies violate gender equality provisions in a federal law called Title IX. The department warned it could cut off federal funding if the school district didn’t cancel or change the policies by Monday, March 23.
The school district has maintained that the policies are legal, and it hasn’t announced any changes so far, even though the Trump administration has cut off federal funding for other schools across the country with similar policies.
The Department of Education didn’t immediately respond when I asked what it plans to do next. I also reached out to Jeffco schools, but I got an automated response saying this week is spring break.
Need to Know
🚰 Outdoor watering restrictions could be coming to communities across the Front Range. After an exceptionally dry winter, Denver, Aurora and Westminster are all considering limiting water use for landscaping, which accounts for up to half of residential water use in Colorado. That statistic comes from the Colorado Water Institute at Colorado State University, which has tips for conserving at home. (9News, Denverite)
✊ Almost 4,000 workers in Greeley started the second week of a strike at one of the country’s biggest meatpacking plants, seeking better pay, safety policies and other workplace improvements. The union said the Brazilian company that owns the plant, JBS, has not negotiated in good faith and has tried to intimidate workers to discourage them from supporting the strike. (Union website, New York Times)
🎲 Proposals to limit the harms of online gambling are advancing in the state legislature, even as the betting industry argues increased restrictions push users to underground gambling operations that aren’t regulated or taxed. Advocates for responsible gambling say more consumer protections are needed as the industry continues to grow rapidly since voters legalized it in 2019. (CPR)
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Something Good
🏊 It’s triathlon season again, and I’m training for my sixth straight year of racing in Colorado. That means spending more time in the swimming pool – specifically, the pool at Carmody Recreation Center in Lakewood. I’ve swum in pools all around the Denver metro area and this is one of the best. The center also has a ton of other great facilities, including an outdoor pool scheduled to open in the summer.