In a victory for the privacy and dignity of transgender students, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court today ruled that a school district violated the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA) when it required a transgender girl to use a separate bathroom rather than the bathroom used by all other female students. The ACLU of Maine and the national ACLU LGBT Project filed an amicus brief in the case, arguing for the importance of protecting minorities from discrimination, especially in situations where there is public controversy.
Said our legal director, Zach Heiden, in a press release: "Schools have a responsibility to create an environment free from discrimination, where students are able to learn and grow. All the parties in this case agreed - and the Court todayrecognized - that Susan Doe is a girl. As such, she has the right to use the girl’s bathroom. This is an important victory for the Maine Human Rights Act, and for the dignity of all transgender people in Maine.”
This is the first case that has required the Court to interpret the MHRA’s prohibition on discrimination based on gender identity and expression in public accommodations, educational opportunities, employment, housing, and other areas.
The court decision is available here:http://www.aclumaine.org/media/793
