JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — A federal judge says he will not stop a Mississippi school district from requiring a transgender girl to dress like a boy to graduate high school.
US District Judge Taylor McNeel entered his order Friday night after holding a hearing on a lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of the 17-year-old girl against the Harrison County School District.
The girl, who is listed in court documents with her initials LB, had chosen a dress to wear with her cap and gown Saturday at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, a coastal city about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Jackson. Graduating boys are expected to wear white shirts and black pants, while girls are required to wear white dresses.
Harrison County School District officials told LB that he must follow boys’ dress rules for graduation, according to the lawsuit the ACLU filed Thursday.
The Associated Press left emails and phone messages with the ACLU on Saturday asking if LB’s family will appeal the judge’s decision not to issue a temporary restraining order against the school district and if he will participate in the graduation ceremony.
The lawsuit says LB wore dresses to classes and extracurricular events during high school, including a prom last year, and that she should not face discriminatory treatment at graduation.
Wynn Clark, an attorney for the Harrison County School Board, responded in court documents Friday that participating in a graduation ceremony is voluntary and not a constitutionally protected right for any student.
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