SAINT PAUL, Minn.— A district court judge has rejected Anoka-Hennepin School District’s attempt to dismiss a case that unlawfully segregated a student from his classmates by relegating him to a separate changing space, based solely on his gender identity. Instead, the district court forwarded it to the appeals court, which last year found it is unlawful to segregate a boy from his peers because he is transgender.
Last February, Gender Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, and the law firm Stinson LLP asserted that the Anoka-Hennepin School District violated the state Constitution’s right to equal protection and the Minnesota Human Rights Act by barring the student, who was on the boys’ swimming team, from using the locker room that matched his identity.
Representative Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) cheered the district court decision and released the following statement:
“All students deserve to find a place for themselves to grow and develop in schools. I was glad to successfully champion the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act of 2014 with my colleague Senator Dibble, which provides a comprehensive framework to protect all students from abusive behavior and strengthens anti-bullying policies statewide. This relatively new law was referenced in today’s district court ruling and I’m am grateful the policy helped shape this positive development.”
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