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Federal Judge Deciding Transgender Student's Locker Room Rights At Illinois School

"old gym locker room" by Flickr user Charles Kremenak / (CC X 2.0)

A federal judge is determining whether a transgender student in northwest suburban Palatine can use the girl’s locker room.

Credit "old gym locker room" by Flickr user Charles Kremenak / (CC X 2.0)

Judge Jeffrey Gilbert heard legal arguments for 4 and a half hours today.

School District 211, which includes Palatine, is currently allowing a transgender student who identifies as female to use the girl’s locker room.

Jeremy Tedesco is an attorney for students who don’t want her to use the girl’s locker room while their lawsuit goes through the courts.

TEDESCO: We’re just trying to protect basic human dignity and decency and we think the school’s doing the wrong thing by trampling those rights in locker rooms and restrooms at their school.

An attorney for the Palatine school district says there are privacy screens - like a dressing room - in the locker room.

But Tedesco argues a transgender student shouldn’t enter the locker room in the first place.

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Tony Arnold