EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A federal judge in Indianapolis ruled Monday that an Evansville transgender teen can use the restroom that aligns with his gender identity, according to local media.
The Evansville Courier & Press reported that U.S. District Judge William Lawrence of Indianapolis issued a preliminary injunction Friday that requires the local school district to allow a transgender high school student to use male restrooms. The lawyer for the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation said he would appeal.
The 17-year-old filed a lawsuit through the ACLU in February suing the the district over bathroom access. Identified in the lawsuit by initials J.A.W., the student argued his rights were violated under the 14th Amendment and Title IX after school administrators reportedly told him to use either women’s restrooms or a private bathroom connected to the nurse’s office or be disciplined. The judge ruled that the preliminary junction was justified since the teen was “likely to prevail” in his claim, the newspaper reported.
Locals were not happy. TV station WEVV reported comments on their Facebook page were hostile to the decision.
“If my kids weren’t already out of school, they would not be in EVSC. Vile, vile people promoting mental illness,” said one commenter.
“I don’t want a girl using the same bathroom as my grandson or a boy using the girl’s bathroom with my granddaughter,” said another.