districtwide. sarah introduces us to the student that ignited this debate. >> i look at the bathroom situation and dislikes segregated bathrooms. >> senior neck quinn is taking a stand not just for his school but all students in sarasota county. >> i was born as a boy but i had to do other things for people to see me that way. >> nate says in order for it to stick, and needs to be countywide. >> i am not confused. >> today district leaders consider that proposal but they all have strong opinions on what should and shouldn't be allowed. >> i know i have four granddaughters that i know would be appalled. >> i think if they went to the

would be less of a problem. >> very davenport has worked with transgender people for over 40 years. she says if nothing changes, transgender students will not use the restroom all day. >> is horrible. they live in fear and they are afraid of being attacked. >> if school leaders adopt a eight districtwide policy, it will decrease harassment in transgender students. >> it's uncharted waters, and the last thing we want to do is be sued from making the wrong step. >> since the school doesn't have the policy, it's up to schools to deal with. if the school board makes eight districtwide policy, and it's different from one pineview already has in place, that means needs school has to make the change and that would mean he would have to use this restroom and set of that one. we will continueue to follow the

>> with the district undecided right now, we will let you know what we think. we have some viewer saying absolutely not. and others say slippery slope. but then we had some saying, we are in 2016, it's time for floridians to live in the present. if you'd like to join our conversation, tweet us at abc action news. >> relief is coming for those who ride the bus in the bay area. right now you have to pay separate bus fare when you switch, and that is where we find ashley who is live on a downtown bus. ashley, people you spoke with, passengers said this would make writing the bus much more easy. >> much easier and much more cost-effective. you can see, i am writing the bus right now. one woman i spoke with said it

make it all the way to her work in clearwater, and soon, she will get to save some of that money. >> foray commuter to ride the bus -- >> they should make it more affordable. >> each swipe adds up, and anthony weaver says when her job was in clearwater, changing buses between counties was costly. >> many people to get on the bus, they are unaware that once they get over there they have to buy another ticket. so when i found out about this, i would just pay the one fair ticket like ours had and, once they get on the bus, they said, can you -- and i said that was a waste of money. >> we've never done anything like this before. >> today the heads of the regional transit authorities met to talk about a smart card with a one affair rate, and that will be in place in the two years.

of developing what that will actually be but it should be one cost from your point of departure to your destination. >> transit reps are hoping that even people who don't depend on the bus will use it more. and this will help cut solve financial problems that these writers face. >> if i go to saint pete, i have to pay here and then pay again. >> i have to pay more money to get around, so if they make it just one fare, everyone will be extremely happy. >> that smart card roommate be about two years away but the app will be here by the end of the summer. >> how are you doing everybody, and so things have quieted

gusty winds, and even a significant waterspout offshore. once the sunshine returned and we had auntie of it today, low and mid 70s. still some moisture out there, and while we will have mostly clear skies, fog could become an issue and it could be dense in some spots. and of course, we will tell you how long this beautiful stretch of weather is going to last. >> thanks, dennis. new tonight, a high island county woman on probation four using her father's money is now charged with child neglect. the victim claimed that her live-in boyfriend started abusing her when she was just six years old. according to dcf, the lake placid woman refusal of the child interview with

and violation of probation. also developing tonight, a fraternity suspended after allegations of hazing. the national chapter of sigma nu suspended the chapter last week. they are accused of alcohol misuse and hazing students. the university has not commented on what happened, only saying no one was hurt. high school support union is denying it wage offer saying workers asked for a livable wage but according to highlands today, the district is offering a wage teachers, the union says educators are getting at $2600 boost on average. the school district is not commenting. >> counting down to the presidential primary, time is

change your party affiliation. >> the amount of people getting ready to vote is triple what it was during the 2012 election. >> check low is here at the house broke county supervisor office of elections. >> i've been registered independent for a year. >> they switched their political party, and they are gaining the exact same number. just about 1300 of the piece. that the reflection of the race and awareness of the people. >> those registering to vote is also increasing, especially among floridians like michelle johnson. >> anytime the election comes up, i always vote. >> it is a closed primary state inning if they are not registered as republican or democrat him

>> people are realizing, i registered in the building inland, that means i don't have a voice. >> and pull county, this doesn't include numbers from today. there are 5200 newly registered voters. if you look back to 2012 at the same time, that number was just below 1700 and nikki caster with the league of women voters says the number of those registering and changing party affiliations is climbing, but the impact is not yet known. but one and thing is for sure. >> if you don't vote march and the 15th and in florida, then you don't have a leg to stand on when you say, i don't like the choices that i have in november and. >> in hillsborough county, jaclyn in place, hillsborough county news. >> still ahead, what you eat during pregnancy could put your

>> some things that mothers need to cut back on. >> plus, a toddler hogtied by her own brother. humming up, why the sheriff says he isn't surprised by the crime. >> and they warning by police, whether you are looking for love online or booking her next vacation, how criminals are

>> welcome back. a teenager has just been charged with child abuse for this photo. >> that shows a two and -year-old hogtied with duct tape on her mouth. a 16 and -year-old boy in tennessee tied up his sister and posted the picture to facebook sunday night. someone called police when they saw it and investigators went to the family's house. sheriff said that the girl was okay but then said he wasn't shocked by the case. >> people seem like every day they stooped to new levels, and it angers me as a sheriff and as a data, but doesn't surprise me anymore. >> i think he should be held totally responsible. >> the department of children's services and the district

looking into the case. >> developing tonight, an attorney for your help elliott spitzer is denying claims that he assaulted a young woman at a hotel. tonight abc's elizabeth her shows why police are now investigating. >> despite denying any wrongdoing, the papers are having a field day with the story. after police say this woman seen here on twitter who papers identify as 25 -year-old svetlana travis called 911 saturday night after allegedly getting into an argument with spitzer. inside new york city's famed plaza hotel, travis telling police that one point the former governor choked her, but she later recanted the statement. >> the advised, she's in the

>> according to police, two had been in some sort of romantic relationship for about two years. spitzer's lawyer says there was no criminal activity of any nature on the part of esther spitzer. it seems that there had agreed to meet travis at a room previously booked for her at the plaza hotel, where she threatened to harm herself. for spitzer, this is the first time he has come under scrutiny. >> but i have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard i expected of myself. >> the married father of three was serving as governor of new york when he resigned in 2008 hollowing a sex scandal with escort ashley dupre. the governor was known then to investigators as client nine. >> we are told the 25 -year-old

cooperating with the investigation. >> developing tonight, a frightening flight as smoke pours intocockpit forcing pilots to put on gas masks. the alaska airlines jet had just taken off from washington dc and all six crew members were ticketed hospital. pilots tell air traffic control they believe the smoke came from one of the motors. >> us airlines canal apply for more routes to the cuba airway. by fall there could be as many as 100 flights per day, which is a big jump from the current ten or 15 daily charter flights from the us. airlines have 15 days to submit proposals to the department. the obama administration is also allowing aa us company. they built tractors and small farms. it would be the first american factory to be built and operated in cuba in more than 50 years. >> now to the governments commitment to help those in need of the nutrients they need.

would require stores to take the ebt card or who stands to offer healthier alternatives. this proposal would bump that up to seven, and for the larger retailers, this might not have a bigger impact but mom-and-pop is misses could have an impact trying to keep up. >> we have 1100 feet of retail space, so that does make it more difficult to us to cycle that stock in and out. >> the owners of the mobile market are committed to help offering more fruit and healthy snacks. they were surprised on how many people rely on government aid to eat. ace study shows that eating fish more than three times per week, it could increase your

the study says that in of fish was greater in girls than in boys. be a beautiful day today, storms were waking people up. >> i've slept right through that one, like, what happened. >> we were here working. >> you could tell on facebook, we did our lifestream, and around 2:30 a.m. or 2:45 a.m., the numbers just went through the roof. [laughter] sound sleeper. the apollo beach cam looks tremendous, most of the day was sunny and warm them up but this morning, especially down in south florida, this is the same line that moved into our area. it was not frenetic when it went into our neck of the woods, but what by the time it

the east coast, it did it.. and there were two confirmed e f one tornadoes right on down to south beach and hollywood area as well. there were some damage reports and some injuries as well. some pretty dramatic video that we have posted on the abc news facebook page as well as my personal page. we topped out at 71, lakeland at 75. even though this was a cold front that came through, it isn't bringing us much cooler air, and we have a slice of beautiful weather that will be sticking around at least into the early part of next week. the only issue that we will have to deal with will be first thing in the morning, there will be fog out there. it will be kind of dense, but right now partly sunny and 68 at the airport in tampa. as i said, 71, a few degrees

seen pete sunny and 68, west winds coming off of the gulf at 10 miles per hour. sarasota also sunny and 60 degrees. so taking a look at the satellite picture, we honestly had our storms overnight, and as we expected, by the time many folks woke up, you were either sound asleep or you missed it. and there was a tornado watch in effect until 8:00 this morning. in terms of tomorrow morning, visibility will be the issue. not rain, not scraping your windshield like he did last week. this go around, especially across the interior county by two or 3:00 a.m., disability will drop down like a rock. i don't think the entire area sees it but i do believe there will be some pockets that will see visibility closer than a quarter-mile and that advisory will be needed. 6:00tomorrow morning for the rush-hour, and that could be

a bear as it is. that begins to burn up around nine or 10:00. then by 11, we are back to sunny and mild with temperatures around the 70 degrees mark. so there is the fog and the models are hinting the interior counties away from and east of interstate 75, away from the coast. we will see the thickest fog, but a very nice forecast nonetheless. it stays that way right on through the weekend. so, for a change, nothing to worry about, not talking about cold, rain or storms, just talking about sunshine. some early morning fog wednesday, we will be down to 70, then the warming trend begins. 73 thursday, 74 friday and over the weekend, 75 both days with maybe a little bit of the chance of rain. then that front comes in and

>> a pastor is suing in north carolina powerball winner. treat ahead, the reason he is asking the mother of four for

>> beneath you o'dell tauro is in the new star wars movie with kerry and mark, the usual suspects. speaking of the usual suspects, some unusual things about the 95 classic. number three, the lineup scene was supposed to be serious, but he had gas.

real kaiser so say. >> a north carolina pastor is allegedly suing a controversial powerball winner for $10 million. >> the mother of four went back on abe are both promised to give and part of her winnings. >> marie homes 11 third of the powerball and she has reportedly used $21 million of that to bail her boyfriend out of jail. kevin matthews the claims he is experiencing emotional and mental distress after homes changed her mind about her promised donation. >> the university of central florida is offering a drug that helps prevent an hiv negative person from being infected with the virus. this is according to the orlando sentinel. the university is beginning to offer free exposure drug and it's only effective if taken

>> here's what's coming up next. >> damaging weather across the state of florida. incredible images as the storms moved in, and we have the aftermath left behind. and listen to this, he took a backhoe on a joyride. the new view of this encounter and how authorities finally ended it. plus, this. . >> years after his death, this detective is still making a difference. the disturbing case that the late shane robbins refuse to let slip through the cracks. >> and the red flags that you need to look out for when

>> baby abandoned. >> she had the baby in the backyard and just left it. >> the intense search for the hours old infant. >> mother nature is battling to communities hundreds of miles apart. and the lives now left in pieces. >> investigators saying april county man impregnated a 12 -year-old girl, then ran off to mexico. one mistake that ended his seven years of freedom.

thanks for joining us. investigators are telling us that diego mendez guzman is finally paying for taking advantage of a young runaway. >> freedom for diego guseman is at an end. it was seven years ago when investigator say this man, living in davenport at the time, prayed on a 12 -year-old girl. the girl was a runaway, vulnerable. investigators say he saw an opportunity. this was around the spot for the 12 -year-old girl first met the suspect. and within months, and that south of the border. >> when he found out this will girl child was pregnant, he was going back to mexico. he didn't want to stay as bad as he thought he did.