Federal Court of Appeals Rules In Favor of Transgender Student in Virginia Restroom Access Case.
Gavin Grimm sued his school in Virginia after it decided that he would not be allowed to use the boys bathroom.
Gavin Grimm during an interview at his home in Gloucester, VA. Steve Helber/APPer NPR, Grimm, who was designated female but identifies as male, argued the policy violated Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program that gets federal funding. In 2015, the Department of Education issued a memo saying that when a school decides to treat students differently on the basis of sex, it “generally must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity.”
The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Grimm, saying that a lower court should have deferred to the federal government’s assertion that Title IX protects transgender students.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, which brought the case to court on behalf of Grimm, says this is the first time a federal court has affirmed the Title IX protects transgender students.
“Today’s Fourth Circuit decision is a vindication for Gavin and a reinforcement of the Department of Education’s policy.With this decision, we hope that schools and legislators will finally get the message that excluding transgender kids from the restrooms is unlawful sex discrimination.” – Joshua Block, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Project.
