A federal district court ruled that a Virginia school must allow a transgender teenager to use the bathroom that corresponds to his “gender identity” on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar told the Gloucester School County Board that Gavin Grimm, who was born female but transitioned to male, must be able to use the bathroom that he wants while his lawsuit is working its way through the courts, reports the Daily Press.
“I am elated to hear that I’ll be able to attend my senior year of high school with my full rights restored. After nearly two years of humiliation and intense struggle, equality has finally prevailed. Now hopefully other transgender people will not have to face this type of discrimination,” Grimm said in a statement.
Last year, Grimm sued the Gloucester School County Board with the American Civil Liberties Union because the school board’s policy said that students must use the bathroom according to the sex they were born with or use a single occupancy bathroom. A federal appeals court in April overturned a lower court decision and told Grimm that he could continue with his lawsuit, according to ABC News.
The school let Grimm use the boy’s bathroom for a few week after he brought proof of his transition in 2014, he told ABC news. Parents complained about it and the school told him to use either the girl’s bathroom or a single stall one.
Doumar emphasized in his court order that while Grimm may use the boy’s bathroom, the school does not have to let him into the boy’s locker room.
The Gloucester School County Board released a statement: ” The Gloucester County School Board received the order (G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board) from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued by Judge Robert G. Doumar on June 23, 2016. The School Board understands the implications of the order and will continue to defend its reasonable and nondiscriminatory solution to this issue at the Supreme Court and trial court levels.”
The school board is hoping that the Supreme Court will hear its case.
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