WYANDOTTE, Mich. (AP) - The federal government is supporting a Detroit-area teenager who accuses several schools of discriminating against him because he's transgender.
In a court filing last week, the U.S. Justice Department urged a judge to deny a request to dismiss the lawsuit at an early stage. The government says the boy so far has stated a "plausible claim" under federal law.
The 14-year-old was born a girl but identifies as a boy. His family filed a lawsuit last year in Detroit federal court. It describes a series of humiliating episodes in the Wyandotte, Van Buren and Dearborn Heights districts as well as at a charter school.
The schools are accused of being indifferent to the boy's harassment by staff and other students. They deny the allegations.
