December 2016 Church & State - December 2015

Judge Recommends Ill. Transgender Policy Be Retained

  AU admin

A federal magistrate judge released an 82-page ruling Oct. 18 recommending that an Illinois public school district be permitted to retain a policy that allows transgender students to use the facilities that match their gender identity.

Alliance Defending Freedom and the Thomas More Society, two Religious Right legal organizations, filed a lawsuit in May against the policy at the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 on behalf of a local citizens’ group, Students and Parents for Privacy.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert wrote in his findings that it’s unlikely that the plaintiffs can prove that a U.S. Department of Education guidance that requires public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity violates the rights of other students. 

For now, the anonymous student who raised the issue can continue using the restroom and locker room of her choice, which has not caused any incidents. 

BREAKING NEWS

Americans United & the National Women’s Law Center file suit to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans.

Abortion bans violate the separation of church and state. Americans United and the National Women’s Law Center—the leading experts in religious freedom and gender justice—have joined forces with thirteen clergy from six faith traditions to challenge Missouri’s abortion bans as unconstitutionally imposing one narrow religious doctrine on everyone.


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