A federal appeals court in Virginia sided with Gavin Grimm, a 16-year-old high school student who is trans.

From the New York Times (bolds mine):

The A.C.L.U. brought the case on behalf of Mr. Grimm, who was born female but identifies as a male, in June 2015, seeking a preliminary injunction so that Mr. Grimm could use the boys’ restrooms at Gloucester High School.

The school administration initially allowed him to do so, but the local school board later approved a policy that banned him from the boys’ restrooms. Judge Robert G. Doumar of Federal District Court ruled against Mr. Grimm in September, dismissing his claim that the school board had violated Title IX, although the judge did allow his case to go forward under the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

The Fourth Circuit reviewed the case and reversed the lower court's ruling on Title IX. This is a big, big deal. If Title IX protects Grimm, federal courts now have more reason to side with trans students experiencing discrimination from hateful, boneheaded bathroom laws passed by their state legislatures.

Last month, the ACLU filed a Title IX lawsuit attempting to overturn North Carolina's bathroom discrimination law. The Virginia ruling could serve as an important precedent for the current case.

Go Gavin!