Largo – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida is intervening on behalf of a transgender nursing student at Pinellas Technical Education Centers (PTEC) who was told she is not allowed to use the women’s restrooms at her school.
The complaint, filed Sept. 17, was sent to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and states that Pinellas County Schools (of which PTEC is a part) is discriminating against Alex Wilson, 25, on the basis of her sex in violation of Title IX of the Educations Amendments of 1972.
“Alex was treated the same as any other student until administrators found out she is transgender,” said Daniel Tilley, ACLU of Florida’s LGBT rights staff attorney, in a media release. “Now they are stigmatizing her and humiliating her because of her gender identity.”
Wilson has been living as a woman for four years and is identified as “female” on her Florida driver’s license and in the records of the Social Security Administration. According to the ACLU, she used the women’s restroom from November 2012, when she first enrolled at PTEC, until July 8, 2013, when school officials told her she could use neither the women’s nor the men’s restrooms and would have to use a restroom in a separate building or in a faculty restroom, which meant she’d have to obtain a key from an administrator every time. In another meeting, a school administrator threatened to press charges against Wilson if she tried to use a regular restroom, according to the ACLU. The ACLU sent a letter directly to the school superintendent in August. When no action was taken, they filed the complaint with the DOE.
“We are working on a resolution with the school board but don’t have anything to share at this time,” said ACLU spokesman Baylor Johnson.
The complaint asks the DOE to investigate, to require school administrators to allow Wilson to use regular restrooms and to revise district policies to make sure they comply with Title IX. According to the ACLU, if the DOE isn’t satisfied that Pinellas School are complying with protection requirements, they may deny federal funds to the district.
