Asumag 4094 Transg
Asumag 4094 Transg
Asumag 4094 Transg
Asumag 4094 Transg
Asumag 4094 Transg

Pennsylvania student who objected to sharing locker room with transgender student sues school

March 22, 2017
Lawsuit against Boyertown Area (Pa.) district  contends that the school policy violates the student's privacy.

A high school student in Pennsylvania says in a lawsuit that his “bodily privacy” was violated when he saw a transgender student undressing in the locker room as he also was changing.

Philly.com reports that two conservative faith-based organizations, Alliance Defending Freedom and Independence Law Center, filed the lawsuit against the Boyertown Area School District on behalf of the student and his family

The suit contends that the school district did not notify parents or students that it was allowing transgender students at Boyertown Area High School to use restrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity.

The lawsuit states that in October 2016, the student, dubbed "Joel Doe" in the filing, began changing in the school locker room for PE class, "and when he was standing in his underwear about to put his gym clothes on, he suddenly realized there was a member of the opposite sex changing with him in the locker room, who was at the time wearing nothing but shorts and a bra."

Joel Doe complained to school officials, and they informed him that students who “subjectively identify themselves as the opposite sex” can choose which locker room they use. When Joel Doe asked school officials to protect his privacy, he was told he must “tolerate” it and make changing with students of the opposite sex as “natural” as can be, the suit alleges.

“No school should rob any student of his legally protected personal privacy,” Independence Law Center Chief Counsel Randall Wenger says in a news release. “We trust that our children won’t be forced into emotionally vulnerable situations like this when they are in the care of our schools because it’s a school’s duty to protect and respect the bodily privacy and dignity of all students."

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...