Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and 13 other states have filed a brief in the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a Massachusetts school's ability to protect the privacy of transgender students.
The coalition of state attorneys general support the Ludlow, Massachusetts school district’s practice of sharing information on a student's transgender or nonconforming identity with the student’s parents, only if the student consents.
“Sometimes they are in a situation where their parents are not supportive or understanding and may actually take action to prejudice their rights or even do them harm," Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said. "In those situations it's important for me to protect the student, protect the young person.”
Connecticut has state laws protecting transgender rights.
“We take very seriously our state laws protecting transgender students and young people, and transgender people generally, we have some of the strongest laws in the nation," Tong said. "And if something happens in another state they could be making bad law that impacts us here in Connecticut."
The coalition of attorneys general argue that requiring a school to out students against their will undermines the trust between student and teacher.
Their brief asks the First Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court decision that dismissed the lawsuit against Ludlow Public Schools.
