Judge sides with transgender teenager over bathroom dispute

A US federal judge has sided with a transgender teenager in Virginia who claims a school board violated his rights when it banned him from using boys' bathrooms.

Judge sides with transgender teenager over bathroom dispute

A US federal judge has sided with a transgender teenager in Virginia who claims a school board violated his rights when it banned him from using boys' bathrooms.

US District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen declined the Gloucester County School Board's request to dismiss the case filed by former student Gavin Grimm, writing that the board's policies "singled out and stigmatised Mr Grimm".

The judge in Norfolk ordered lawyers for both sides to schedule a settlement conference in the next 30 days.

In a brief statement, the school board said it continues to believe that its handling of the matter "fully considered the interests of all students and parents in the Gloucester County school system".

Joshua Block, an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyer representing Mr Grimm, said his client is seeking nominal damages from the school board and the admission that its bathroom policy was illegal.

"Maybe the school board will give up at this point or maybe they'll want to keep appealing," Mr Block said.

But I do know that Gavin has, from the beginning, been so dedicated to this because he's wanted to make sure other kids are protected.

The case has continued on a circuitous path well after Mr Grimm's graduation in June 2017 from Gloucester High School.

A different federal judge initially sided with the school board in 2015. Then an appeals court ruled in Mr Grimm's favour, citing a directive issued by the Obama Administration that said students can choose bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

The US Supreme Court backed out of hearing the case after the Trump Administration pulled back that guidance. Mr Grimm's case was sent back to US District Court.

In her 30-page opinion, Ms Wright wrote that Mr Grimm's lawyers successfully argued that the school board violated his rights under the US Constitution's equal protection clause as well as federal Title IX protections against gender-based discrimination.

She wrote that the board's argument "rings hollow" that it was protecting students' privacy rights, including Mr Grimm's.

The judge noted that other courts have since made similar conclusions. She also noted that since Mr Grimm filed his suit, his state identification card and his birth certificate now list him as being male.

- PA

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