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Indiana school must allow transgender to use male bathroom

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered an Indiana school district to allow a transgender student to use male bathrooms.

Judge William Lawrence signed an injunction Friday, just days before classes resume in the Evansville Vanderburgh school district.

The 17-year-old student sued after he was told to use the female restroom or bathrooms in the nurse’s office. He says his rights were violated.

School officials said the student could use the male bathroom if his birth certificate was changed to identify him as a male.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana says the student was born in a state that won’t do that unless a surgery takes place. The ACLU says the teen is under a doctor’s care and getting hormone therapy.

The teen says he experiences distress when forced to use the female restroom. The judge found the claims credible.