Blaze News original: Ohio parents furious about plans for apparently illegal unisex 'group bathrooms' in new pre-K-8 school

Outraged parents in an Ohio school district are battling a controversial building design that features unisex "large group restrooms" for students — plans that remain murky despite a new state law banning such facilities.

The community's frustration boiled over at the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools' board meeting on January 21, during which multiple parents aired their grievances.

'We just need help. We don't know what to do.'

"There are boys, and there are girls," one resident declared during the meeting's public comment.

Another Tipp City parent accused the board members of betrayal.

"I and many others in the community feel that we were deceived by you," he stated. "You shared with this community a totally different plan schematic than what it is now."

"And certainly never mentioned then anything about including group restrooms," he added.

What's the background?

Last March, Tipp City school district voters approved an $87 million bond issue to construct a new school building for preschool through eighth grade to replace aging structures, some from the 1950s.

At the time of the bond issue's approval, the district promised to demolish an elementary and a middle school and build a bus garage and new tennis courts — costing homeowners $304 in property taxes for each $100,000 of appraised value.

In September, the district announced the successful sale of $78 million in bonds, touting the reduced tax rate as a "significant[] benefit" to the Tipp City community.

Early renderings pitched to voters showed a two-story concept with separate wings for lower and higher grade levels, connected by shared spaces. These floor plans did not indicate any unisex facilities.

Then came a shift: Updated plans revealed a three-story layout with sprawling "large group restrooms," including three spread out on the first floor and one each on the second and third floors.

The district's website insisted that these are "living document[s]" that are subject to change, claiming "feedback" would "refine our vision."

School board faces pushback

The sudden pivot to unisex restrooms prompted a wave of parents to confront the school board, furious over threats to their children's safety and a sense that the district had duped them. They packed the January meeting, determined to hold the district accountable.

Some parents also expressed concerns that the plans flew in the face of Ohio's Senate Bill 104, which requires "single-sex bathroom access" for students. The legislation, signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine (R) late last year, was slated to go into effect on February 25.

Further, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, a state agency, is providing support for the district's construction project. A document uploaded to the district's website noted that the second construction phase would be "entirely paid for using state funds," adding that "no additional local funds will be used."

The OFCC's participation prompted parents to question how the "large group restrooms" could comply with the state agency's obligation to uphold the new law.

During that January school board meeting, member Kyle Thompson spoke before public comments to "remind" the community that the building plans were "still in the design phase."

He praised parents who had "respectfully" submitted feedback about the design but added that he was "disappointed a little bit by the depths to which some people have sunk in terms of their inflammatory discourse, their unfair accusations, [and] insults."

Thompson then addressed the restrooms, stating, "I think that the current concept that we've got, I'm generally in favor of it; I think it has some merits. But it's become clear that it falls short of addressing some legitimate concerns. … I think there's a way to redesign them that will satisfy the efforts to create a safer environment, to minimize misconduct in these spaces, and to alleviate the legitimate concerns surrounding the current design."

Yet instead of offering an explicit guarantee that children would not be forced to share restroom facilities with the opposite sex, the board repeatedly leaned on claims of an ongoing, lengthy design process — a response that failed to address parents' underlying concerns.

Parents speak out

Kathy Bone, a Tipp City resident, spoke with Blaze News about the unisex restroom controversy, zeroing in on the district's lack of transparency.

Bone pointed out that the original concept plans tied to the bond issue were "wildly different" from the district's recently unveiled building designs. She first spotted the unisex restrooms in the plans in early January, noting that the discovery felt like a bait and switch.

"This is not what the people voted for. This was not what was on the ballot," she said.

She also noted that SB 104 mandates "exclusive restrooms, changing rooms, locker rooms, shower rooms for the biological female sex and the biological male sex."

'The new plans look like a fictitious wall was put in.'

Bone recalled the district brushing off her concerns by telling her that the restrooms were "no big deal" because the stalls ran floor to ceiling.

She told Blaze News that the design details did not squelch fears, noting that some parents expressed concerns about potential situations where a child may suffer a medical emergency, such as an epileptic seizure or anaphylactic shock, and the stalls' design could prevent anyone from knowing they were inside.

Bone slammed the district for its lack of transparency.

Though the board insists members can discuss plans only in public meetings, Bone noted, "You'll hear them say in any meeting you listen to, 'Well, we've already discussed this.' And it's like, you discussed it, but you didn't discuss it in public. The public doesn't know."

A concerned parent who asked to remain anonymous told Blaze News that she never expected the historically conservative district would become "woke" and "liberal."

"Tipp City Schools was the last public school in the entire state of Ohio to become unionized. And once that unionization began, that's when everything just went downhill," she said.

She echoed Bone's frustration, stating that the community was "sold a false bill of goods" with the drastic changes from the original concept to the updated plans.

"We just need help. We don't know what to do. Our girls have rights; our boys have rights," she added. "The large group restroom has completely eliminated urinals, for obvious reasons, that makes me sad for boys."

District bends to pressure — or retreats to ambiguity?

The district appeared to cave to the community pressure, uploading plans dated January 28 that showed the previously unisex restrooms separated by a dividing wall, with "male large group restroom" on one side and "female large group restroom" on the other.

Yet the design raised eyebrows with its odd setup. A dividing wall appeared to split the once-unisex space into separate male and female restrooms. But it was unclear whether this wall was a solid, floor-to-ceiling, permanent barrier.

Instead, the plan showed stalls lined up back-to-back — males on the left, females on the right — with a large gap between them and a door at one end, suggesting some access in between the rows.

While the design detail may have been incorporated to allow for easy access to plumbing, it is unclear whether it indicates a non-permanent divider or even a partial wall. One thing is certain: The restroom's dividing wall did not match the ones separating classrooms and other areas.

What appeared to be a single shared entrance for both the male side and the female side of the restroom only added further murkiness to the plans.

Bone remained unconvinced that the updated plans once and for all addressed parents' concerns.

At a February 18 district meeting, she confronted the board members again.

"I wish I could say something good about this board, but I have nothing good to say about any of you," Bone fired off.

Board of Education Vice President Angela McMurry laughed at Bone's comment, while Thompson appeared to maintain a smirk.

'The drawings have not been finalized for approval.'

Bone did not hold back, torching the board members for refusing to stand up against Superintendent Aaron Moran's building plans.

"If the board members are going to continue to run cover for Mr. Moran, maybe you should all get on the same page so you can all tell the same story," she declared.

Bone argued that the updated late-January plans did not end the restroom controversy.

"The new plans look like a fictitious wall was put in to make it look like there would be two separate restrooms to go into next to each other," Bone stated. "To me, that seems like you're all playing a game, trying to convince the public the matter was taken care of when what you're really doing is putting girls and boys in the same non-gendered restroom."

Bone's accusation that the school board failed to get its "message straight" also appeared to ring true in responses members and Moran provided to Blaze News.

When asked whether the January 28 changes to separate male and female restrooms were officially approved, McMurry replied, "The drawings have been updated."

In her February 6 response — just over a week after the plans dropped — she called the update "old news," directing further questions to Moran.

Board member Richard Mains told Blaze News, "The current plan now has separate bathrooms for boys and girls."

On the shift from a two-story to a three-story building, Mains deferred, stating, "Mr. Moran would be the best person to talk to. He has very good explanations. I didn't understand it at first, but I can see many reasons for the possible change."

Mains added that the superintendent was "still trying to obtain community input."

Thompson, too, directed Blaze News to reach out to Moran when asked to comment.

The superintendent provided a thorough response that still sidestepped directly addressing parents' core concerns about the unisex restrooms or committing to ensuring that separate male and female restrooms would be reflected in the final plans and construction.

Multiple times in his response, the superintendent noted that the plans were not yet final.

Moran's full statement to Blaze News:

Thank you for inquiring about Tipp City Schools' new PK-8th grade building project. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify the status of our design plans and share how community input has shaped this important initiative.

Design and Approval
The district has not finalized the design or secured official approval for any changes. Since the passage of the March 2024 building bond, more than 30 community and staff design meetings have been held. The district has discussed with our national design consultant, the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, and Garmann Miller, our architect, on a range of ideas — including potential layouts — to ensure the final design meets our goals of collaboration, flexibility, safety, security, and efficiency. While updated floor plan drafts may appear on our district's website, these are still working documents and are subject to refinement.

Building Height and Structure
The change from two stories to three stemmed from our commitment to long-term flexibility and efficient use of space. A three-story structure allows us to optimize the school's footprint while accommodating potential future growth. We also want to foster dynamic learning environments that support both staff and students; the updated layout better supports collaborative spaces throughout the building.

Current Design Status
Our architects and construction team continue to refine the building's design based on previous dialogue with staff, families, and community members. The drawings have not been finalized for approval at this time. The design process is thorough by intent. Our focus remains on building a school that meets our community's evolving needs and the high standards our students deserve.

We will keep the public informed of any significant milestones or final decisions as they occur. Thank you again for your inquiry.

State steps in

Parents told Blaze News that they have been frantically reaching out to local, state, and even federal representatives to block unisex restrooms in the Tipp City school building.

Last year, state Rep. Adam Bird (R) introduced the Protect All Students Act, which is included in SB 104.

'I will swiftly bring legal action.'

When asked about the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools controversy, Bird told Blaze News, "I don't know the details to the [district's] plan, but what you're describing doesn't sound like it meets the intent of the bill."

Bird stressed that the law aims to "protect our children," driven by parents and community members "coming to their state legislature saying that they want protection for their children in schools, including elementary and high school and college."

He cautioned that the district "need[s] to be careful."

"The attorney general of the state of Ohio has stated loudly and often that he will gladly defend this law," Bird added.

Blaze News contacted Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office. A spokesperson stated they were not specifically familiar with the situation in Tipp City but shared a letter previously sent to the Columbus City School Board regarding SB 104.

The February 5 letter cited a Columbus Dispatch article stating the district was considering defying the state's law to maintain its current "Transgender and Gender Variant Students" policy.

Yost's letter read, "Please be advised that the ramifications to the Board for defying Senate Bill 104 are clear and simple. I will swiftly bring legal action against the Board to obtain a court order forcing the Board to take all actions necessary to immediately comply with all applicable mandates of Senate Bill 104."

He underscored that compliance with the legislation "is not optional."

That pressure appeared to have an impact on the school district. On February 18, the board voted to rescind its policy, no longer allowing males to use female restrooms and vice versa.

Board President Michael Cole stated, "The Columbus City Schools Board of Education respects and values each of our students and staff members. The district remains committed to ensuring each student is empowered for success as a citizen in a global community, while also following the law."

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