Trans teen sues Florida school over right to use restroom as per chosen gender, wins after 3 'exhausting' years
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA: A transgender teen has won a legal battle that now allows equal access to restrooms. Drew Adams decided to sue his school after being told at the age of 14 that he cannot use the men's toilets. He spent three years fighting an exhausting battle to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity.
The 19-year-old, born as female and who underwent transitioning before joining school, took legal action against the St. Johns County School District in 2017. He won his case in 2018 in federal court. But in 2019, his school district appealed the decision, which led to Drew's latest victory. "I knew I had an obligation to people hiding their true trans identity, because there are so many people who don't have accepting families. And if they don't have their families, and they don't have their school, who do they have?" Adams told Radio 1 Newsbeat.
"A public school may not punish its students for gender nonconformity. Neither may a public school harm transgender students by establishing arbitrary, separate rules for their restroom use," Judge Beverly B. Martin wrote in the latest ruling that applies to Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
The judge added: “The evidence at trial confirms that Mr. Adams suffered both these indignities. The record developed in the District Court shows that the School Board failed to honor Mr. Adams’s rights under the Fourteenth Amendment and Title IX."
Recalling his experience at the school, Adams said he was in history class when he was asked to go to the principal's office. “I sat with three other counselors standing over me. They told me I wasn't allowed to use the men's bathroom,” Drew said, adding he felt "very small, nervous and terrified" since he thought he had "done something wrong". “I was really surprised and so confused. But they said that was the rule and I was only allowed to use the gender-neutral cubicles - there was only one in the entire school at the time,” he added.
The teenager said that the more he thought about the school’s decision, the more he became upset. Erica Kasper, Adams’ mother, was "also angry" and they "had meetings with people from the school authorities". They also filed a civil rights complaint against the school -- Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra -- which led to an investigation. But the probe was halted after the 2016 presidential election. “We got tired of waiting so we reached out to Lambda Legal - an organization that fights for LGBTQ rights - and filed a lawsuit against my school in 2017,” Drew said.
Adams described the whole process as “exhausting”. "The other side had access to all of my social media, all the emails I've written, texts, therapy records, all of that stuff. And they could ask about anything, so we had to be prepared,” he said. But the young man thanked his family and friends for keeping him sane. “I had a lot of friends and such a supportive family. I would not be able to do this without my mom, my dad, my brother,’ he added.
Speaking about the latest victory, Adams said it’s "a mixed bag of relief, happiness, and nervousness". But he said the case could go to the Supreme Court if there are more appeals. "I can't speculate on what might happen, but I do know that trans people can't wait. The right time for trans rights is now,” he said.
While Paul Castillo, a lawyer for Lambda Legal, said of Adams: “I could not be more impressed with his resolve over the years and his steadfast commitment for LGBTQ equality, particularly for transgender youth. Even though he's graduated, he continues to put himself, through his case, in a position to help thousands of transgender youth across the country.”