A federal judge has struck down the policy of a high school in Ponte Vedra Beach, which had required an 18-year-old student to use a gender-neutral bathroom. The judge found that the policy was unjustified because the student did not threaten the safety or privacy of other students. Thus, the transgender student should have the same rights and access as any other male student.
The student had started the process of hormone treatment after surgery during his freshman year of high school. The school district argued that it met the needs of transgender students by providing gender-neutral bathrooms. However, the judge agreed with the student and his parents that it is unconstitutional to provide transgender students with different accommodations simply based on the sex that they were assigned at birth. An attorney representing the student noted that this decision sets a strong precedent that will shape the policies of high schools in Florida and possibly other states.
