California School, Feds Settle Transgender Complaint
DOWNEY (AP) — A Southern California school district has settled a government claim that it discriminated against a transgender student who said she was forbidden to wear makeup, was harassed by other children and was encouraged to change schools.
The Downey Unified School District has agreed to give the middle-school student access to the same facilities and activities as other female students, including athletic tryouts and district-sponsored overnight events.
The district didn't acknowledge any wrongdoing in the agreement, which was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
The student claimed she suffered discrimination in fifth grade in 2011.
Superintendent John Garcia says the district already has made changes to protect the educational rights of transgender students. He says it's important to make sure students feel comfortable and safe.
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