In a decision that could have far-reaching consequences for the debate over gender identity and public restrooms, a federal appeals court ruled today that a Virginia school district discriminated against a student by requiring the use of a girls-only or private restroom.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Gavin Grimm, a high-school student who is biologically female but identifies as a male. Gavin, the student’s legal name, has started hormone therapy but has not undergone sex reassignment surgery.
Gavin sued the Gloucester County School Board over its policy requiring students to use the restrooms that correspond to their biological sex. The board set the policy in 2014 after Gavin’s use of the boys’ restroom became public knowledge and parents expressed their concerns about students’ privacy. A lower court ruled the school’s provision of private...
