Supreme Court Upholds Pennsylvania School District's Bathroom, Locker Room Policy For Transgender Students

One of President Trump’s first actions in office was to roll back Obama Era protections for transgender students and their use of bathrooms in public schools. While the Trump administration continues to target transgender rights, the Supreme Court has been an obstacle.

On Tuesday, the high court declined a challenge to a Pennsylvania school district’s policy that allows transgender students to use facilities that correspond to their gender identity.

A group of cisgender students in 2017 sued Boyertown's School District for its transgender policies, arguing that it violated their privacy rights. The group was backed by the conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom.

Lawyers for the school district explained the school's decision to stand by its choice to allow transgender students to use the bathroom they wish, though on a case-by-case basis.

“The district believes that transgender students should have the right to use school bathroom and locker facilities on the same basis as non-transgender students,” the lawyers said at the time.

The District Court and 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals both upheld Boyertown’s policy.

"Today’s announcement allows schools to move forward with policies that support transgender students. But our work is far from over. We will continue to defend the transgender community from attacks in the courts, the legislatures, and the White House," American Civil Liberties Union senior staff attorney Ria Tabacco Mar said in a statement Tuesday.

The court's decision does not set a national precedent on transgender bathroom policies.