We are putting out a call for anti-sexual and domestic violence organizations to support a transgender high school student by signing onto an amicus brief in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Drew Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County, Florida.

Some of you joined a previous amicus brief filed in this case.  As a reminder, the case was filed by Lambda Legal, and involves Drew Adams, a high school student in Florida who has been denied access to the boys’ restroom by his school because he is transgender.  Drew has been living as a boy since 2015.  When he started his freshman year, he used the boys’ restroom without issue.  After someone made an anonymous complaint, Drew was told he could only use the gender neutral restroom, separating him from his peers and making him appear unfit to share communal facilities with others. 

In 2018, a trial court ruled that the School Board could not enforce its policy that prevented Drew from using the boys’ restroom.  The School District appealed and argued that the school’s ban is needed for public safety and privacy reasons, which is why we need domestic and sexual violence organizations to oppose these efforts. 

We previously filed the amicus brief in this case in February of 2019.  At the time, the Eleventh Circuit issued a victory for Drew, upholding the good trial court ruling that he could use the boys’ restroom.  The school district has asked the court to reconsider its decision, and the Eleventh Circuit has granted that request by deciding to rehear the appeal with a full panel of its judges.  This means that all of Drew’s efforts could be in jeopardy, and this is why your participation is vital.  It’s more important than ever for the court to hear from subject matter experts like yourselves that discrimination against transgender students cannot be justified in the name of safety. 

The success of this case is essential to protect the rights of transgender people across the United States.  The brief is being prepared pro bono and will be filed by O’Melveny & Myers LLP.  We intend to file a substantially similar brief to the attached, but with some updated social-science research citations.  If you would like to receive a copy of the draft once it is available please let us know. 

We are asking to hear from groups that they will sign on by Thursday, November 18, at 5:00 PM Pacific.  

Please ACT TODAY!!!

This sign-on is for organizations only!  To sign on, complete this form by Thursday, November 18, at 5:00 PM Pacific.  For more information or to answer any questions, please feel free to reach out to Terra Slavin (tslavin@lalgbtcenter.org) or our attorney Dimitri Portnoi, who can be contacted by email at dportnoi@omm.com or by phone at 213-430-7699.