School District Prohibits First-Grade Boy Who Identifies as Girl From Using Girls’ Bathroom

A Colorado school district has informed two parents that their first-grade son, Coy Mathis, will not be able to use the girls’ bathroom at their local elementary school, prompting the family to file a complaint with the state’s civil-rights division. The reason for their complaint is that although Coy is a boy, he identifies as a girl.

The Fountain-Fort Carson School District reasoned that even though Coy identifies as a girl, his presence in a girls’ bathroom could make girls uncomfortable, especially as he develops physically over the years. Instead, his school will offer the first-grader access to the gender-neutral faculty bathrooms or the nurse’s bathroom, along with the boys’ room.

The parents, who will homeschool their child until further notice, disagreed with the decision, saying that the district was “targeting [Coy] for stigma, bullying and harassment” and missing an opportunity “to teach Coy’s classmates a valuable lesson about friendship, respect and basic fairness.” CNN also reports that Coy’s state-issued ID and passport recognize him as a girl. But, the district attorney pointed out that the school refers to Coy as is requested by the parents and permits him to wear girls’ clothes, and that the decision regarding the bathroom was made out of consideration to female students and to set a precedent for older students.