AUGUSTA The Maine Human Rights Commission has ruled that a middle school discriminated against a sixth grader by not letting the male-to-female transgender student use the girls’ bathroom.

The parents of the child, who no longer attends school in the district, wrote to the commission that she experienced anxiety and depression during the 2008-2009 year after Orono Middle School officials forced her to use a gender-neutral bathroom and her peers picked on her.

The school stated the district trained the staff, educated students, gave the transgender student her own bathroom and locker, and met with her parents.

The Bangor Daily News reports the district is fighting a lawsuit filed by the child’s family in Penobscot County Superior Court.

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