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Mayor Adams vows to challenge NYC school policy on trans students’ bathroom rights
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 18, 2025
Modified Sep 19, 2025
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Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Sep 18, 2025
Modified Sep 19, 2025
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he plans to “use whatever power I have” to roll back an existing policy that allows transgender students to use school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.
“I don’t believe that should happen,” Adams said at an unrelated press conference on Thursday. “I believe that we have become so politically correct that we are incorrect.”
The city’s education department requires schools to provide students access to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, or to make alternative arrangements if a student requests more privacy.
The department declined to comment on Adams’ remarks and instead referred Gothamist to the mayor’s office.
Mayoral spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said “New York City schools must be places where every child feels safe, learns, and grows into a compassionate young adult well prepared for the real world. That’s what the Adams administration has worked toward every single day.”
"This is blatant transphobia and homophobia from Mayor Eric Adams," City Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who sits on the the LGBTQIA+ Caucus, said in a statement. "Our kids — and all New Yorkers — deserve far better than this."
A spokesperson for the state education department, however, said restricting transgender and gender-expansive students from using restrooms that match their gender identity would violate the state human rights law.
“The mayor is well aware of this fact, which was reiterated in joint guidance issued by the Department and Office of the Attorney General earlier this year,” state education department spokesperson J.P. O’Hare said in a statement.
Adams said he would consult his legal team to determine what authority — if any — he has to change education department policy.
“Boys and girls should not be in the same restrooms at the same time and I think the average parent — particularly if their child is a girl — would agree with me,” he said. “That is what I believe.”
His comments drew sharp criticism from civil rights groups, including the head of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
“Let’s be clear: the mayor has no authority to ban trans students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in an email. “Such a move would be illegal under New York State and New York City laws and an affront to our shared values.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, has positioned New York as a leader on transgender protections. She previously promoted new funding for youth suicide prevention and wellness programs, along with state workplace inclusion policies and updated signage for gender-neutral bathrooms in state facilities.
New York City also has a history of affirming transgender bathroom rights. In 2016, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city’s Commission on Human Rights launched the “Be You” public service campaign, with subway and street ads encouraging New Yorkers to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and frontrunner for mayor, also condemned Adams’ comments, calling them “transphobic bigotry.”
“It’s completely at odds with the values of our city and another reason why his single, disgraced term in office cannot end soon enough,” Mamdani said on X.
And Comptroller Brad Lander said on Xthat the mayor's stance was "nothing but a transphobic dog whistle."
"New York City will always be a haven for gender expression and identify, and trans New Yorkers are protected by the NYC Human Rights Law and the NY State Constitution," he wrote.
Adams’ stance comes as the White House seeks to roll back federal protections for LGBTQ+ people. In response, city and state lawmakers have introduced bills to bolster local safeguards.
The City Council previously negotiated a budget with Adams that included a record amount of funding for transgender and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers.
This story has been updated with comment from City Councilmember Crystal Hudson, the mayor's office and Comptroller Brad Lander.
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new york city
Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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