Feds: School District Violated Transgender Teen's Rights
A school in suburban Chicago is violating the civil rights of a transgender student because it won't let her have unrestricted use of the girls' locker room, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The student and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal complaint against the Palatine Township High School District 211.
The Education Department said all students have a civil right to take part equally in school programs and activities.
The student says she's pleased with the outcome. But Superintendent Daniel Cates is calling the decision a case of "serious overreach with precedent-setting implications."
"The students in our schools are teenagers, not adults, and one's gender is not the same as one's anatomy," Cates said in a statement. "Boys and girls are in separate locker rooms where there are open changing areas and open shower facilities for a reason."
"We celebrate and honor differences among all students," he continued. "And we condemn any vitriolic messages that disparage transgender identity or transgender students in any way."
