The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a suit in federal court against Gloucester County School Board on behalf of Gavin Grimm, a transgender teenage student in Richmond, Va.
The lawsuit accused the school of discriminating against the student by adopting a restroom policy that prohibits the 16-year-old from using the boys' restroom, a move that "undermines his social transition," according to documents filed in court, reported Fox News.
"To avoid the stigma of having to use separate restrooms, Gavin has tried to avoid using any restroom during the school day," the lawsuit stated, according to the New York Post. "For transgender adolescents, it is critical that the social transition involve full transition at school, including with respect to restrooms."
"It's very stressful and humiliating," said Grimm. "It makes it impossible for me to live as myself peacefully. The issue has outed me on [a] grand scale, which should never have to happen to anyone," reported ABC News.
The lawsuit said that Grimm was born female, but has a male gender identity, and that school authorities allowed Grimm to utilize the boys' restroom for nearly two months. But, after receiving several complaints from local residents, the school adopted a new policy, which requires transgender students to use a private facility. The complaint seeks an order that allows Grimm to use the boys' restrooms in the school.
