Rep. Chu Praises Civil Rights Agreement for Local LGBT Teens

Today, the United States Department of Justice made public an agreement with Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) to ensure equal rights for all students, regardless of gender identity.

“Teenage years are hard enough to navigate when the only concerns are making friends and learning the lessons of the day,” said Rep. Chu. “But those challenges are compounded when a teenager happens to be LGBT, and basic notions of equal treatment are brought into question.”

The agreement is the result of a DOJ investigation that began when a local transgender teen filed a complaint after being denied access to men’s restrooms.

“The fact that this young man was excluded from using school facilities is regrettable to say the least, but thanks to his decision to act and not accept the circumstances he faced, others will not face the same discrimination,” Chu continued.

The Arcadia Unified School District readily offered full cooperation with the investigation, and began allowing the student access to the facility while the process was ongoing. As part of the agreement, AUSD will update its policies to reflect sex-based discrimination, including sex stereotypes and discrimination based on gender identity and transgender status. AUSD will also train their administration and faculty on creating non-discriminatory environments for transgender students.

“I commend the AUSD, the Department of Education and the DOJ for their diligence and attention to this important situation. Thanks to their efforts, equal rights have been upheld in our community, and this student has one less challenge to face as he navigates teenage years. As they have done many times before, the federal government has stood up for the rights of all Americans.”

According to the Department of Justice, in recent years, the Justice Department and the Department of Education resolved a number of cases involving gender-based harassment in public schools. In 2012, the departments entered into a consent decree addressing harassment against students who do not conform to gender stereotypes in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, Minn. In 2011, the departments entered into an agreement with the Tehachapi Unified School District, Calif., to resolve a similar complaint of harassment against a gay student who did not conform to gender stereotypes.