Human Rights Department Joins Transgender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Anoka-Hennepin School District
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Minnesota Department of Human Rights joined Tuesday a lawsuit against the state's largest school district, alleging that it discriminated against a transgender student.
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and the St. Paul nonprofit Gender Justice filed a lawsuit against Anoka-Hennepin School District.
The lawsuit alleged discrimination against a Coon Rapids High School student over the school board's decision in 2016 to a create separate locker room for the transgender student alone to use. The student eventually switched schools.
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"We filed to join this lawsuit because equal access to public schools for all students, including transgender and gender nonconforming students, is a civil right protected by the Minnesota Human Rights Act," said Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman, in a statement. "School districts should have policies and procedures that enable all students to thrive, free from discrimination."
Responding to the initial lawsuit, Anoka-Hennepin said that it's committed to providing a respectful environment for all students, adding that use of restroom and locker room policy is determined on a case-by-case basis.
The district maintains that its approach is consistent with guidance from the National School Boards Association and the Minnesota School Boards Association.