Cook County Judge Dismisses Appeal In Locker Room Access Ruling

PALATINE, IL — Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Allen has dismissed a former Palatine High School transgender student's appeal to the judge's January 2018 decision that allowed Township School District 211 to require her to use a private changing stall when using the girls' locker room, according to court documents posted July 18. According to court documents, the court found Nova Mayday's appeal — filed May 8, 2018 — to be moot as she graduated from the district shortly after on May 20, 2018.

The federal lawsuit — filed a few years by a group of parents and students against Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 over policies allowing the transgender student partial access to a girls' locker room — was dropped in April.

"Plaintiff cannot reasonably argue that the question as to her unrestricted use of the girls’ locker room during her last semester of high school is likely to recur, as she has graduated from high school and is no longer subject to the district’s locker room policies," the court said in the report dismissing the appeal. "Although not argued in her motion for a preliminary injunction, she notes in her reply brief that 'there may be dozens of transgender students attending schools in [the district] at any given time' and makes reference to a prior similar dispute between the district and another transgender student. While plaintiff’s assertion may be true, it is speculative that other transgender students in the district would file suit10 and then seek a preliminary injunction based on similar material facts and allegations."

More Patch coverage:

• Transgender Locker Room Policy Lawsuit Against School Dropped
• Transgender Student Sues District 211 For Locker Room Access
• District 211 Reaches Settlement With Feds in Transgender Case
• District 211: Transgender Student Not Allowed Open Access to Locker Room
• Local Residents Sound Off on District 211 Decision
• District 211 Transgender Case Making National News
• Mother of Transgender Student Who Was Denied Access to Locker Room Speaks Out

Maday, represented by the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties union, sued the district during late 2017, seeking preliminary injunction to reverse the school system's policy and give her full locker room access. But Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Allen denied the injunction in his January 2018 decision.