American school districts cannot legally discriminate against transgender students, according to an agreement reached July 24 between the US departments of Justice and Education, reports Buzzfeed.
In response to a complaint filed by a Californian transgender student, the departments agreed that the same laws that protect American students from discrimination based on gender also protect students based on transgender identity.
“This is a natural extension of the way courts and administrative agencies are interpreting sex-stereotyping. This resolution shows the federal government is continuing to import the sex-stereotyping definition as applied elsewhere,” said Asaf Orr, the student’s attorney.
The boy, now in Grade 9, identified as male from an early age and began to present as male in Grade 5.
School district officials in Arcadia, California, however, said he could not use male locker rooms or stay with other boys on field trips.
According to the new agreement, the Arcadia school district must treat the boy like other boys, and change its policy on transgender students.
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