Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Minnesota School District Ordered To Pay $300k To Trans Student Banned From Boys' Locker Room

Minnesota School District Ordered To Pay $300k To Trans Student Banned From Boys' Locker Room
KARE 11/YouTube

Nick Himley sued his school district in Minnesota for discriminating against him for being trans after the school board blocked him from using the boys' locker room. On March 23rd, Anoka-Hennepin School District settled the lawsuit for $300,000—along with policy reform and diversity training for educators, students and board members.

In 2016, Himley had been a part of and accepted by the Coon Rapids High School swim team for most of the season before they unexpectedly isolated him to a private locker room. This separation and "othering" from his teammates created an uptick in bullying towards Himley.


The press release from Gender Justice stated:

"This discrimination led to bullying and threats against his family, causing Nick emotional distress and harm."

The harassment became unbearable for Himley, leading him to hospitalization for "mental health concerns," as stated in the court documents. After his third hospitalization, Himley and his family decided to move to a new school district.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled with the student that using segregated locker room facilities was indeed a violation of the Minnesota Constitution and the Human Rights Act.

Himley said:

"I wanted the school district and the school board to understand that how they allowed me to be treated was wrong, and to hopefully make things better for the next generation of students – not just at Anoka-Hennepin, but across Minnesota."

ACLU-MN's David McKinney stated:

"This sends a strong message to school districts throughout the state: it's unconstitutional to treat trans students differently from other students."

This is not the first lawsuit like this the state has seen. In 2011, St. Paul's charter school faced a $120,000 settlement and trans inclusionary policy changes after Dave and Hannah Edwards' child faced harassment by other students. Just like Himley, the Edwards were fighting for a more welcoming environment for all transgender and gender non-conforming students.


Thankfully, Himley's win for transgender students in Minnesota is coming at a time when trans youth face attacks on their human rights by Republicans.

Gender Justice said in a statement:

"Over the past year, we've seen a growing wave of political attacks against the rights of transgender children to health care, education, or even to play sports."

Through bills excluding trans girls and women from sports and blocking gender affirming care by making it a felony, Republicans are only creating more room for discrimination.









Hopefully, Himley's win is just the first of many for trans students fighting for their rights in such a volatile political climate.

More from News/lgbtq

Flavor Flav
Bryan Steffy - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Flavor Flav's 'Spirit Is Broken' After NBC Kicked Him Out Of Backstage Area At Tree Lighting

Rap icon Flavor Flav was dispirited by the way NBC treated him in a backstage area at the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old cofounder of the rap group Public Enemy said he was kicked out for no reason.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lindsey Graham; Pete Hegseth
Fox News, Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Lindsey Graham Mocked For Instantly Flip-Flopping On Pete Hegseth Appointment: 'None Of It Counts'

Lindsey Graham doing a swift 180 on his initially negative assessment of beleaguered Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth gave the internet whiplash.

Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to join his cabinet as Secretary of Defense days after Trump won the 2024 election for a second non-consecutive term.

Keep ReadingShow less
LL Cool J
Gareth Cattermole/MTV EMA/Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Paramount

LL Cool J Sparks Debate After Claiming He's The 'Most Important Rapper That Ever Existed'

The '80s and '90s were a key period for musical innovation and artists deciding their sound and what they wanted their songs to talk about.

While appearing on the podcast Le Code by Apple Music, LL Cool J boldly stated that he felt that he was the "most important rapper that ever existed," and someday, people would realize he was right.

Keep ReadingShow less
John Fetterman; Ron DeSantis
CNN, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

John Fetterman Jokes He'll Consider Confirming DeSantis—But Only On One Hilarious Condition

Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman made a wisecrack at Ron DeSantis after being asked if he would vote for the GOP Florida Governor as Secretary of Defense.

"I’ll consider a YES on him if he finally admits to his boots with 4' lifts," Fetterman joked on X (formerly Twitter) accompanied by a screenshot of a news headline stating "Trump may replace Hegseth with DeSantis: WSJ."

Keep ReadingShow less
Daniel Craig; Stephen Colbert
@colbertlateshow/Instagram

Stephen Colbert Stunned After Daniel Craig Calls Him Out For Pronouncing His Name Wrong

Daniel Craig humorously confronted Stephen Colbert during his Monday appearance on The Late Show, pointing out that the host had been mispronouncing his name for years.

“I have a bone to pick with you,” Craig said. “Six shows—say my name.” Colbert gave it a shot, correctly pronouncing "Craig" to rhyme with "vague." Craig jokingly acknowledged the improvement: “Oh, now you’re doing it right.”

Keep ReadingShow less