Families File Lawsuit Over Transgender Students' Use Of Locker Rooms, Restrooms In Suburban School District
(CBS) -- An organization that says it represents more than four dozen families is suing the federal government and Palatine's Township School District 211 over transgender students' use of locker rooms and restrooms.
The federal government has already told Fremd High School it must allow transgender students more liberal use of the facilities or else the school will lose federal money. Now several parents are fighting that in federal court.
"It is not up to the school district to determine the time our daughters encounter a member of the opposite sex while in a state of undress," said one parent who would not give his name. "But with this reckless policy, that is exactly what happened."
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Parent Vicki Wilson said, "We do sympathize with children who have difficult personal issues to deal with, to work through.
"But young men shouldn't be permitted to deal with those issues in intimate settings with young girls, some as young as 14."
The ACLU says the lawsuit "is a sad development by groups opposed to fair and humane treatment of all students, including those who are transgender."
Township High School District 211 Superintendent Dan Cates said in a statement, "District 211 affirms and supports the identity of all our students. Last December, after lengthy deliberations, District 211 reached a highly publicized agreement with the Office for Civil Rights that provided workable solutions protecting the privacy and honoring the dignity of all students. The District has faithfully honored our agreement with the Office for Civil Rights and our students have shown acceptance, support and respect of each other. We have implemented the agreement without any reports of incident or issue. Individual changing stalls in our locker rooms are readily available to every student and further accommodations that provide even greater privacy remain available upon request."
