LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Nevada school board has approved an $80,000 settlement to end a discrimination case brought by a transgender school police officer.
The Clark County School Board approved the settlement with former officer Bradley Roberts in a unanimous vote Thursday.
Roberts had sued the district in 2014 for discrimination and harassment after officials barred him from using both the men’s and women’s restrooms.
A federal judge ruled in October the Clark County School District discriminated against Roberts by telling him he couldn’t use the women’s room because he looked like a man, but was banned from the men’s room because biologically he was a female.
Roberts, 50, told the Review-Journal (https://bit.ly/2mmDuVE) he struggled with his gender his whole life and that transitioning “was like a weight off my shoulders.”
His “coming out” at work came in 2011. Roberts said he endured “the worst year of my life” while working for the district because of the discrimination and harassment he faced.
Before the 2014 lawsuit, Roberts had filed a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission in 2012, court records show. He filed a second complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying that emails about him sent to the entire department had opened him up to workplace harassment and retaliation for filing the complaint.
Roberts said he is relieved that the legal battle is finally over. He is also hopeful his case will prompt the school district to adopt protections for transgender students and employees.
The district has rules against harassment but no specific policies addressing public restroom use by students or employees who are transgender. Roberts said that has a negative impact on students.
“Kids shouldn’t get a stomachache thinking about going to school,” he said.
District spokeswoman Melinda Malone said in a statement the district is addressing the matter on an individual basis to meet students’ privacy and safety needs.
“The District continues to work with various members of the local community, including parents, students and school staff to determine the best way to address this important issue while continuing to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for all students in accordance with state law and district policy,” the statement said.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, https://www.lvrj.com
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