US Supreme Court rejects challenge to school’s trans-inclusive policy

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a legal challenge to a school’s transgender-inclusive bathroom policy.

Anti-LGBT lobbying group Alliance Defending Freedom had brought the challenge to the policy at Boyertown Area High School in Pennsylvania, which safeguards trans students’ rights to be treated as their preferred gender.

US Supreme Court decision leaves pro-trans school policy in place

The ADF’s challenge to the law had already been rejected by a federal district court and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, but on Tuesday (May 28) the US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

The Supreme Court’s decision leaves the lower ruling in favour of the school standing, meaning the trans-inclsive policy will remain in place.

The United States Supreme Court is seen on April 15, 2019 in Washington DC. (ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty)

Transgender ex-Boyertown student Aidan DeStefano said: “By the time I graduated high school, I was using the boys’ bathroom and participating on the boys’ cross country team.

“I felt like I belonged and had the confidence I needed to continue with my education.

“I’m glad the Supreme Court is allowing schools like mine to continue supporting transgender students.”

Campaigners celebrate rare victory on Trump-era Supreme Court

The decision was celebrated by campaigners as a rare win for LGBT+ rights on the court following the appointment of Trump justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Ria Tabacco Mar, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT and HIV Project, said: “This is an enormous victory for transgender students across the country.

“Boyertown’s schools chose to be inclusive and welcoming of transgender students in 2016, a decision the courts have affirmed again and again.