A transgendered first grader, born a boy but feels and identifies as a female, won the fight to use the girl's bathroom at her school.
According to CNN, "the Colorado Rights Division ruled in favor of Coy Mathis in her fight against the Fountain-Fort Carson School District." The state's rights division said keeping the ban in place "creates an environment that is objectively and subjectively hostile, intimidating or offensive."
Coy's parents were home schooling her during the court proceedings.
The court proceedings stemmed from a call Coy's mother received from the school. They reportedly told Kathryn that Coy could use the boys' bathroom, gender-neutral faculty bathrooms or the nurse's bathroom, but not the girls' facilities.
Kathryn Mathis, Coy's mother, told CNN she is happy that her daughter can return to school.
"Schools should not discriminate against their students," Mathis told CNN. "All we ever wanted was for Coy's school to treat her the same as other little girls. We are extremely happy that she now will be treated equally."
Coy's parents, Jeremy and Kathryn Mathis, will reportedly hold a noon (2 p.m. ET) local news conference to discuss the case. The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund agreed with the court's decision.
"It is a victory for Coy and a triumph for fairness," Michael Silverman, the group's executive director, told CNN. "This ruling sends a loud and clear message that transgender students may not be targeted for discrimination and that they must be treated equally in school."
Coy entered the transgender process about a year ago. The little girl's passport and state-issued identification recognize her as female.
CNN reports that transgender children experience a disconnect between their sex and society gender roles based on their anatomy. These children will identify with behaviors of the opposite sex, and experience a "discomfort with their gender as early as they can remember."
Below is an interview Coy and her family had with Katie Couric.
