Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, harshly criticized President Trump this week for his administration’s move to have the Departments of Education and Justice to withdraw guidance for schools and institutions of higher education pertaining to transgender students and the legal requirements surrounding the Title IX law.

Murray, Washington state’s senior senator, issued this statement:

“This is deeply disappointing and a huge step in the wrong direction for the schools across the country who asked for this guidance and the transgender students that have benefited from greater clarity about their rights.

“This shameful move may make extreme conservatives happy, but President Trump, Attorney General Sessions and Secretary DeVos are reneging on their chief responsibility to ensure all students have a safe place to learn, regardless of their gender identity.

“It is especially troubling to learn of reports that President Trump and Attorney General Sessions steamrolled this action through even after hearing concerns from others in the Administration. It appears Secretary DeVos has caved to pressure from President Trump and Attorney General Sessions and allowed this harmful action to move forward, even after hearing from so many people nationwide that rolling back these clear protections would be absolutely wrong and should not be done.

“With this latest action, President Trump has made it alarmingly clear that he is intent on turning back the clock on the support and protections that students should receive in our schools. We should be doing even more to fight bullying and harassment and make our schools safe for every student—and I am going to do everything I can to move us in that direction despite this reversal.”