A federal magistrate has ruled against a group of parents seeking an injunction denying a transgender student the ability to use a suburban Chicago high school's restrooms and locker rooms. The ruling now goes to U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso, who is presiding over a lawsuit filed on behalf of parents whose children attend Palatine-based Township High School District 211.
If Alonso agrees with U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert's recommendation, the transgender student won't be forced to use facilities separate from fellow students.
The issue came to a head in November when the transgender student complained to the U.S. Education Department that she was denied access to facilities for the gender she identifies with. Federal authorities found the school district in violation of Title IX, which bans discrimination based on gender.
