Parents of Transgender Students and ACLU sue the Hanover County School Board

The ACLU of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against the Hanover County School Board over its vote last month to not adopt a transgender bathroom policy.

The Hanover School Board willfully broke the law by voting to deny transgender students protections as required by state law.

The lawsuit, CBS 6 wtvr reports was filed on behalf of five parents with transgender students in Hanover Schools, alleged the Hanover School Board broke two laws at its November 9 meeting. It was at that meeting when the board voted 4-to-3 to not adopt a policy to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

In March 2020, the General Assembly passed a law mandating that all public schools in Virginia adopt policies ensuring appropriate access to bathrooms and facilities in line with a student’s gender identity, among other protections for transgender students. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) created model policies, including use of facilities, correct pronoun and name usage, privacy and security, dress codes, and more. 

All school boards were required to adopt consistent policies by the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. In a public consultation during the November 9, 2021 school board meeting, the board’s own attorney advised them of the state mandate and standing case law from Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, yet the school board willfully voted to violate the law.

“The Hanover County School Board is denying transgender students a safe learning environment, even after understanding the risks it poses to the health and well-being of students, not to mention the legal liability that comes with breaking the law,” said Eden Heilman, legal director of the ACLU of Virginia. “There’s no ambiguity in the school board’s vote. The board members knew the board’s actions were discriminatory and outside the law, but they did it anyway. These students are compelled to attend school in a school system that refuses to protect them, and each weekday morning, our plaintiffs say goodbye to their kids while fearing for their safety. No parent should be forced into that position.”

Related:

Virginia Beach School Board adopts transgender policy

VB School Board approves amendments to district’s nondiscrimination policy

Newport News School Board narrowly votes to adopt more inclusive transgender policy

Loudoun Schools Adopt Transgender Student Policy Over Protests

No transgender students should be afraid of going to school because their school system refuses to protect them.

No parents should have to fear for their kids’ safety after they drop them off at schools.

You can read our press release here.https://t.co/oktfsBlle5

— ACLU of Virginia (@ACLUVA) December 9, 2021

Transgender woman Christynne Wood wins lawsuit against Crunch Fitness

Christynne Wood a transgender woman from El Cajon, California has won a settlement after Crunch Fitness denied her the use of the ladies' changing room.

Christynne valued her gym as she had undergone Angioplasty and was told by her doctor in order to never have that happen again she needed to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Christynne, a member of Crunch Fitness began to take exercise seriously and lost 100 lbs. 

But nine years into her membership, when she informed the gym’s management that she was in the process of transitioning to female, Wood’s relationship with Crunch radically changed. Management refused to allow her use of the women’s locker room and restroom, even though that was clearly her right under California law. 

 “I feel elated and validated to finally reach resolution in this case,” Wood said. “I hope the settlement helps the owners of Crunch and other gyms appreciate the importance of respecting transgender people’s identities. It’s not only our legal right, but also could save a life.” 

 The discrimination Christynne experienced is not unusual; a study conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA found that nearly 70 percent of transgender people have experienced discrimination when trying to use public restrooms.

Cheers to our amazing client Christynne Wood for finally achieving vindication, and heads up to other trans folks in California: you have the right to be yourself at the gym! 🏋🏻‍♂️🏊🏻‍♀️https://t.co/WRlqt4fi6d https://t.co/rhgunlwULf

— Amanda Goad (@AGoadEsq) December 8, 2021

And it’s against the law in California. 

The Unruh Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on “a person’s gender identity and gender expression,” and goes on to define gender expression as “a person’s gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth.”

VICTORY: Today, our client Christynne Wood won a settlement with Crunch Fitness in El Cajon, after the gym had refused her to use the women’s locker room and restroom, even though it is clearly her right under California law. https://t.co/oK9k6H5LJg

— ACLU SoCal (@ACLU_SoCal) December 8, 2021