The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
Mississippi attorneys argue in lawsuit over trans student's graduation attire
Opposing attorneys clashed Friday over whether a Mississippi school district can require a transgender girl to abide by a boys' dress code as she and her classmates graduate from high school this weekend.
The 17-year-old girl, listed in court papers by her initials L.B., had chosen a dress to wear with her cap and gown Saturday at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport, a coastal town about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south of Jackson. Graduating boys are expected to wear white shirts and black slacks, while girls are expected to wear white dresses.
Harrison County School District officials told L.B. that she must follow the boys' clothing rules for graduation, according to a lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties filed Thursday against the district.
The lawsuit said L.B. wore dresses to classes and extracurricular events throughout high school, including to a prom last year, and she should not face discriminatory treatment during graduation.
"L.B. and her parents have suffered significant emotional distress, humiliation, shame, and anxiety, and fear that they will be forced to miss this important moment in L.B.'s personal life and academic career," ACLU attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
Wynn Clark, attorney for the Harrison County School Board, responded in court papers Friday that participating in a graduation ceremony is voluntary and not a constitutionally protected right for any student.
"The loss of an opportunity to participate in a graduation ceremony is not an unconstitutional infringement on a student's right to freely exercise his religious beliefs," Clark wrote.
Court records show the opposing attorneys met during a settlement conference Friday but did not reach an agreement. U.S. District Judge Taylor McNeel held a hearing after the conference, but it was not immediately clear how quickly he would rule.
Harrison Central principal Kelly Fuller told L.B. and her parents May 9 about the expectation that L.B. abide by the boys' dress code, the ACLU said. Fuller said the request to meet with L.B. was prompted by Harrison County School District Superintendent Mitchell King, who had called to ask what transgender students were wearing to graduation, according to the lawsuit.
King told the teenager's mother in a phone call that L.B. "needs to wear pants, socks, and shoes like a boy," and King repeatedly misgendered L.B., the ACLU said in a statement.
L.B. said in the statement that the dress she chose for graduation is appropriate and the superintendent's objections are unfair to her, her family and all transgender students.
"I have the right to celebrate my graduation as who I am, not who anyone else wants me to be," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
Prosecutor recommends parole for Menendez brothers in 1989 murder of parents
A Los Angeles prosecutor said on Thursday he would ask a judge to release Erik and Lyle Menendez on parole after nearly 35 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, as new evidence emerged indicating they were sexually abused by their father for years.
'Never said I was going to close the door on politics forever': Christy Clark on interest in federal leadership run
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure from within his own caucus to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to returning to politics.
Former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model says Trump groped her to show off for Jeffrey Epstein
A former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model鈥痠s alleging鈥痶hat former President Donald Trump groped her in the 1990s, in what she believes was an attempt to show off for Jeffrey鈥疎pstein.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
More straight couples are calling each other partner. Here's why
Within a year of dating, 31-year-old Siara Rouzer crossed a major relationship milestone. The guy she was seeing was no longer a boyfriend but her partner.
Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot
The federal government is slashing immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ottawa Police Service has identified the woman who was stabbed to death at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive Thursday morning.
Local Spotlight
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.