|
 The Downey Unified School District agreed to treat the student as
they would any other female pupil, allowing her access to the same
sex-designated facilities, programs and events, the U.S. Department
of Education said in a statement.
The student filed a complaint with the department in November 2011,
it said, alleging that elementary school staff confiscated her
make-up and forced her to write an apology letter for making male
students uncomfortable.
She also reported facing verbal harassment by her peers, saying
students would insult her with anti-gay slurs on the school bus.
 The district, comprising 21 schools southeast of Los Angeles, did
not admit to violating federal law, but agreed the student would not
be punished for acting in a way that "does not conform to
stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity," according to
the resolution agreement.
The district would also review its policies to ensure all students
had the same opportunity to participate in school events and
activities without discrimination, the department said.
"Our federal civil rights laws protect all students from sex-based
discrimination and harassment," said the department's assistant
secretary for civil rights, Catherine Lhamon, in the statement.
[to top of second column] |
The district had earlier complied with a 2013 California state law,
which was the first in the country to require public schools to
allow transgender students to choose which sex-segregated activities
and restrooms they would access, the department said.
But the student remained concerned about harassment and
discrimination, it added.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner, editing by John Stonestreet)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
