LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Protestors rallied outside the headquarters of Jefferson County Public Schools on Tuesday evening, calling on the state's largest school district to disregard Kentucky's new sex education law.

Senate Bill 150 passed both the House and the Senate on March 16. The sweeping bill curbs transgender medical procedures and limits teaching certain sex-related topics in Kentucky schools.

While Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed the bill, Republican lawmakers used their supermajorities in the House and the Senate to override the veto and make it law. 

Chanting "Protect trans students," protestors who gathered outside the Van Hoose Education Center on Tuesday call the legislation an attack on transgender students' rights.

"I didn't feel like I wanted to be a boy or a girl," said Justice Chenault. "I felt like I wanted to be a different person than everybody in my school."

Chenault is a third grade student at JCPS, who identifies as nonbinary. They were among hundreds that gathered before Tuesday's JCPS Board of Education meeting in protest of SB 150.

"My school already doesn't protect us, so I wonder how much is this going to get worse with this law?" One protestor asked the crowd.

SB 150 bans students from learning topics related to gender identity and sexual orientation. It also prevents lessons on topics such as STDs and puberty until the sixth grade, and allows teachers to not use the preferred pronouns of their students.

When asked if JCPS will comply with the law, Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said "It's just a difficult road to navigate, to be honest with you." 

Pollio said he's concerned about the effects it will have on students, but as he understands the law, he said there could be issues around teacher certifications if teachers don't comply.

"Obviously, we have to make sure we protect our students, but our job and our role is to make sure we have policy and procedures that protect all our employees as well," he said.

The district will also be required to create policies as it relates to students using bathrooms based on their biological sex.

JCPS said it will be required to have policies in place by the 2023-24 school year, but is waiting to see if potential court challenges on grounds of violating the federal government's Title Nine law will hold up.

"(We) would like to have some type of guidance from what the court is gonna do with some court cases that I think will be pending," said Pollio.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kentucky is already challenging the law in court. The Family Foundation of Kentucky, a Christian lobbying group, supports SB 150 and said it's JCPS' responsibility to follow the law, that "Kentuckians overwhelming support." 

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