ACLU sues charter claiming transgender student denied admission
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against e3 Civic High School amid allegations the charter school denied admission to a transgender student because of gender identity.
This is the second time in about a year that the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties has raised concerns about the charter’s culture when it comes to LGBT students.
“It looks like they have a problem,” said David Loy, ACLU legal director. “We think they have an obligation to dispel the concern that they do have a pattern and practice of discrimination.”
Helen Griffith, executive director of e3 Civic High, said the school couldn’t comment on the specifics of the lawsuit because they haven’t seen it, but she rejected the accusation.
“e3 Civic High School adamantly denies discriminating against or denying admission to any transgender student,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “e3 Civic High School is committed to providing a positive, supportive educational environment for all individuals and strictly prohibits all form of discrimination.
“We feel very confident that it will be proven that at no time did e3 discriminate against any student.”
The suit stems from an October 2015 meeting between Mayra Velazquez and her daughter, a 15-year-old transgender student seeking admission to the charter, and Griffith, according to the lawsuit.
At that time, the ACLU said e3 Civic High was least 70 students under its enrollment capacity. Griffith declined to admit Velazquez’s daughter, claiming there was no space at the school and allegedly placing her on a waiting list, the lawsuit says.
The ACLU said Sheila Krotz, who was e3’s director of instruction at the time, informed ACLU sues charter claiming transgender student denied admission - The San Diego Union-Tribune: