Federal judge dismisses a challenge to Tennessee's school bathroom lawA federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender students and staff from using school bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identities
Link to Full ArticleABC News - KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press
September 27, 2024, 12:13 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender students and staff from using school bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identities.
A transgender student, identified only as D.H., filed the lawsuit nearly two years ago, saying her school stopped supporting her social transition after the Republican-dominant Statehouse and GOP Gov. Bill Lee enacted several policies targeting accommodations for transgender people.
The school instead accommodated the student by allowing her to use one of four single-occupancy restrooms. However, according to D.H.'s attorneys, the accommodation caused severe stress, leading to the student briefly stopping using the restroom and limiting food and water to minimize her need for the restroom. D.H. sued the state and school district saying the law violated her constitutional rights under the Equal Protection Clause and also Title IX, the 1972 federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Tennessee has enacted more anti-LGBTQ+ laws more than any other state since 2015, identifying more than 20 bills that advanced out of the Legislature over the past few months.----------
