A federal court ruled Thursday in favor of a 17-year-old transgender student in St. Johns County, whose family sued the school district for discrimination after he was denied access to the boys restroom.
Our News4Jax partner reports Drew Adams, a student at Nease High School, was told by the St. Johns County School District that he could use a gender-neutral bathroom on campus but could not use the boy's restroom, despite identifying as a male since 2015.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Corrigan wrote in his decision:
"[T]he evidence is that Drew Adams poses no threat to the privacy or safety of any of his fellow students. Rather, Drew Adams is just like every other student at Nease High School, a teenager coming of age in a complicated, uncertain and changing world. When it comes to his use of the bathroom, the law requires that he be treated like any other boy."
Adams will begin his senior year at Allen D. Nease High School when he returns to school in August. He’s an honor student who plans to attend medical school to become a psychiatrist.
"My entire high school life I’ve been worried about the bathrooms. I’m very happy I can finally be a normal kid," Adams said. “I have so many other things on my mind, like getting into my top college choice, so I don’t want to have to worry about whether I can use the boys’ restroom."
