Washington D.C., Aug 4, 2016 / 12:50 pm
The Supreme Court on Wednesday put a temporary halt to a federal judge's ruling that a student who identifies as transgender must have access to either gender's public school restroom.
"I am pleased the Supreme Court blocked this ruling before children return to school," said Mat Staver, founder and chair of the legal group Liberty Counsel.
In a 5-3 decision, the Court put a stay on a federal court's ruling that the Gloucester (Va.) County School Board must allow a student who was born a girl and identifies as a boy to use the boys' bathroom at school. The stay will last until the Supreme Court either refuses to hear the case or hears and decides the case.
The student is protected under Title IX of the Civil Rights Act which "prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity," because of federal interpretations of the statute to include protections for sexual orientation, the Fourth Circuit Court ruled in April.