On Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit issued a decision in Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County that Alliance Defending Freedom says will protect students’ privacy by separating school bathrooms based on biological sex.
Christiana Kiefer, ADF’s senior counsel, said they are pleased the court affirmed that sex is a “distinct biological class that merits protection under the law.” She said it is a reality that female athletes and many others across the country have been fighting to protect.
“If gender identity advocates had had their way, St. Johns’ schools would have been forced to violate students’ privacy and cooperate with high-risk, unproven medical treatments,” she said. “There are no controlled, randomized studies showing gender affirmation treatments are helpful in the long term. The 11th Circuit has rightly allowed St. Johns’ schools to prioritize the well-being of its students over gender ideology.”
In the court’s opinion, it states separating school bathrooms based on biological sex passes constitutional muster and comports with Title IX.
Judge Barbara Lagoa wrote that removing distinctions based on biological sex from sports, particularly for girls in middle school and high school, harms not just girls’ and women’s prospects in sports, but hinders their development and opportunities beyond the realm of sports, which she wrote is a significant harm to society as a whole.
