Tennessee Faces Lawsuits from Civil Rights Groups Over a Transgender School Athletics Law
Two civil rights groups filed a federal court challenge Thursday against a Tennessee law that bars transgender athletes from playing public high school or middle school sports aligned with their gender identity.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and Lambda Legal, which advocates for LGBTQ civil rights, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Nashville on behalf of a 14-year-old transgender boy, arguing the state law violates equal rights protections under the 14th Amendment and Title IX.
Luc Esquivel is a freshman at Farragut High School in Knoxville whose plans to try out for the boys golf team were derailed when Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislative earlier this year, the lawsuit states. Lee declined to comment on the pending litigation.
