Discrimination found in school bathroom complaint
Published: Jul 01, 2009 12:00 am
BANGOR, Maine (AP) - The Maine Human Rights Commission says the Orono School Department discriminated against a transgender child who was denied access to the girls' restroom.
The commission's ruling came in the case of a fifth-grader who was initially allowed to use the girls' bathroom even though she's biologically male. Educators later required her to begin using a unisex restroom after she was harassed by a male student.
Melissa Hewey, attorney for the Orono School Department, tells the Bangor Daily News that the decision may make sense on an intellectual level. But she says she's not sure it "takes into account practicalities that face educators around the state."
The human rights panel's decision is not binding. But the case could be brought to court by the agency if conciliation efforts fail.
djsparky says
Title 5 paragraph 4592 states the classifications do not apply if Health and Safety are an issue. The classifications include you can not discriminate based on SEX. No one has challenged that because PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY is at risk when men (boys) are allowed in the ladies (girls) bathrooms. Thank you governor and the legislature for passing a law that was voted down twice by the people of Maine. You have now created a protected class of people. This is the second complaint for the same thing that the commision has found in favor of the complaintent. Denny's Restruartant was the first. Every school in the state now has to worry about the safety of the girls while boys are in their bathrooms!