US Supreme Court blocks transgender toilet ruling

Washington, Aug 4 

The US Supreme Court has temporarily overturned a ruling that allowed a transgender high school student to use the bathroom of his choice.

The school board in Gloucester county, Virginia, is challenging a decision by a federal appeals court that ruled it must allow a student, who was born a girl but now identifies as male, to use the boys' bathroom during the coming school year, NBC News reported.

While the board prepares to appeal the decision, it asked the Supreme Court to block the lower court order. On Wednesday, the justices granted that request in a brief order.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented and said they would not have put the ruling on hold.

Wednesday's order means the student, Gavin Grimm, 17, will not be able to use the restroom of his choice when school starts, NBC News said.

It is the first time that the fraught discussion over transgender bathroom rights has reached the country's highest court.

An appeals court ruled earlier this year that the ban was discriminatory and violated Title IX, a federal law that bans sex discrimination by schools receiving federal funds, NBC News noted.

The court is yet to give a definite ruling on the matter.

A number of places in the US - most recently North Carolina - have passed laws requiring transgender people to use a public toilet that corresponds to the sex listed on their birth certificate.