The plaintiffs cited stress anxiety and fear.
Frederick, Md (KM). A mother and her 15-year-old daughter who filed a lawsuit against Frederick County Public Schools over its trasnsgender student policy have withdrawn their suit. Their attorney cites fear, stress and anxiety connected with the case.
A judge dismissed the case on November 6th without prejudice, which means the plaintiffs could bring it back in the future if they choose to do so. “Overall, the Board was very happy that the case was dropped and that we can get back to focusing on what’s important and that’s educating our children,” says Brad Young, the President of the Board of Education.
The School Board in June adopted a policy which is designed to create a welcoming environment for students, regardless of their gender identity. It allows students to go the bathrooms and locker rooms which conforms with their gender identity, even if it’s not their sex at birth. “We’ve been doing the exact same thing that has been going on for many years in Frederick County Public Schools and we’ve had no issues that have been reported to us either previous to when it’s been adopted, or after it’s been adopted,” says Young.
But he says accommodations will be made for students who feel uncomfortable using restroom facilities, or undressing in locker rooms with their opposite sex.
The lawsuit filed in August said the policy violates the teenager’s right to privacy, and she had fears for her safety in front of her opposite sex.
The family’s lawyers said their clients were worried about the fear and humiliation for bringing the case, and the daughter being identified at school and being “falsely maligned.”
The plaintiff’s attorney, Dan Cox, told media outlets that the 15-year-old came home in tears one day because of a newspaper interview in which she was portrayed as disrupting the education of transgender students, and taking away their right to be treated with dignity. Cox said the girl had been bullied.
Young acknowledges that some people are having difficulty adjusting to persons who are transgender. “While I don’t understand it totally, it certainly is a position of the School Board that we have to be supportive of all of our students. And that what this policy does as well as the equity policy that the Board adopted.
The Frederick County Board of Education adopted this policy in response to the Trump Administration’s revocation of guidelines issued by former President Obama that transgender students have the same rights as other students to use the bathrooms which match their gender identity.
By Kevin McManus