Legal Cases Paper
Peter Cova
Liberty University
Yout 350-D01
Dr Steve Vandegriff
1 Stevens, Matt. "Transgender Student in Bathroom Dispute Wins Court Ruling." The New York
Times. May 23, 2018. Accessed November 06, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/us/gavin-grimm-transgender-bathrooms.html.
Summary of Case 1
Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board ruled on 2017 by the United States
Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit case NO. 15-2056 (4:15-CV-00054-RGD-DEM). This case
involves a 15-year-old named Gavin Grimm who was a Virginia student in Gloucester County
VA. Although Gavin’s biological gender was female, Gavin had identified with the male gender
and was refused entry into the boy’s bathroom. The Grimm family sued the schoo board in 2015
and stated that the school violated Title IX which prohibits discrimination against gender. Judge
Wright Allen stated, “There were many other ways to protect privacy interests in a
nondiscriminatory and more effective manner than barring Mr. Grimm from using the boys’
restrooms. The Board’s argument that the policy did not discriminate against any one class of
students is resoundingly unpersuasive.”1
Personal Response
My personal response to this case is to view the students as one that is lost and
heartbroken whose family is either in support of their confusing state or at a lost for how to help.
I believe that all people are created in the image of God with a great purpose, yet sin has
completely ravaged our identity. My heartbreaks for Gavin and can only imagine the loneliness
and hurt that she feels. Our role is to reconcile all people to God and love all people equally.
Ministry Implications.
While a ministry cannot directly come into a public school and talk about sexual
identity with a Christian worldview, a ministry opportunity is still there. If my personal
response is at all close to the issues that this young person is dealing with, the opportunity
for reinforcing identify and personal value is there. I believe, that a ministry can come in
with a heart to come alongside the school and help build a curriculum that will assist
students and faculty in bringing an awareness to their personal self-worth. With this as
the main entrance into the school, the next step would be to help assist with any guidance
on a volunteer level in which the students will approach the leaders and have open and
honest conversations.
Conclusion
This case does not surprise me in the slightest. But what it does do is highlight
what kind of everyday issues our schools are facing. While I do understand the school's
approach, there is a growing number of students who are struggling with who they are,
and without the Jesus, they will be left to their own ways and thought.
2 Harkness, Jean. "Policy Update: Food for Thought." New Jersey School Boards Association.
July 13, 2017. Accessed November 06, 2018. https://www.njsba.org/news-
publications/school- leader/july-august-2017-volume-48-no-1/policy-update-food-thought/.
3 Harkness, Jean. "Policy Update: Food for Thought." New Jersey School Boards Association.
July 13, 2017. Accessed November 06, 2018. https://www.njsba.org/news-
publications/school-
leader/july-august-2017-volume-48-no-1/policy-update-food-thought/.
Summary of Case 2
In NJ REV STAT section 48A:33-21(2015) the school districts of New Jersy
offered breakfast and lunch to students before and during school. However, this was not a
free service and if parents went beyond 10 days of payments, the students were no longer
allowed to partake in the program. “Section 143 of the federal law, the Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act of 2010 authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to implement
standards for meal charges and the provision of alternate meals.”2 The issue is not the
availability of the food but the fact that the school was refusing students who did not or
could not pay. The ruling came down that the school may not deny any student these
services without notifying parents or guardians. If a student cannot pay, the student will
have the option to work off their debt by performing chores.
Personal Response
While I am not a proponent for those who have the means to simply skip out of
their personal responsibilities, refusing a student a needed meal, ultimately it is at the
detriment of the child. The article stated, “In school, not eating all day can adversely
affect student achievement, contributing to irritability, an inability to focus, and lower
energy for completing assignments and participating in school activities.”3
Ministry Implications
The opportunities here are obvious. There is a need for food services for students
who are not able to meet the financial requirements. The thing that gets me is what
happens on the weekends or holidays? Who is providing food for these students? I
believe a ministry can help meet this need.
Conclusion
The school is not responsible for the income level of each family that comes in,
nor can it afford to feed everyone without an increase in funding. However, I believe that
we could take a page out of Jesus’ playbook and help meet the needs of those by feeding
them. Backpack's with food for the weekend and holidays could be a help for in need and
an opportunity for ministries to enter the doors of the school.
4 "Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Concord Community Schools, No. 17-1591 (7th
Cir. 2018)." Justia Law. March 21, 2018. Accessed November 06, 2018.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/17-1591/17-1591-2018-03-21.html.
5 "Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Concord Community Schools, No. 17-1591 (7th
Cir. 2018)." Justia Law. March 21, 2018. Accessed November 06, 2018.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/17-1591/17-1591-2018-03-21.html.
Summary of Case 3
Freedom From Religion Foundation, INC. V. Concord Community Schools, No.
17-1591 (7th Cir. 2018). This case shows the distain from certain minority groups who
despise anything that involves the appearance of religion intermingling with the school
system. “For decades, Elkhart, Indiana’s Concord High School has held a ‘Christmas
Spectacular’ concert.”4 This year would be no different except a group did not like the
“religious” songs that were planned to be sung. “The Seventh Circuit affirmed that the
2015 show did not violate the Establishment Clause and a declaratory judgement that the
2014 and proposed versions were unconstitutional, with an award of $10 in nominal
damages.”5
Personal Response
The holidays are a wonderful time for all people no matter their religious
preference. It bothers me that a very small few can cause such an issue for the masses. In
the article, it shows the school was not catering to one religion but inclusive of all. This
shows the hate that some have towards anything that can point to a divine Creator.
Ministry Implications
I see this as a warning and an opportunity all in the same. The warning is that if
we are going to get into the school systems, we cannot be so cavalier to think that
everyone will be happy that we are there. We must be “...shrewd as snakes and as
innocent as doves”6 The opportunity is that during the holidays, a ministry can show the
care for the faculty by helping to create an interfaith program. Pulling many groups
together an allowing the celebration to be open and less isolated.
Conclusion
While I believe that the school was just maintaining the same idea that has been
going on for decades, they missed the facts that the times have changed. While they did
do their best to accommodate, it seems that they were behind the 8ball from the
beginning.
6 Matthew 10:16 NIV
Works Cited
"Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Concord Community Schools, No.
17-1591 (7th Cir. 2018)." Justia Law. March 21, 2018. Accessed November 06, 2018.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca7/17-1591/17-1591-2018-03-
21.html.
Harkness, Jean. "Policy Update: Food for Thought." New Jersey School Boards
Association. July 13, 2017. Accessed November 06, 2018. https://www.njsba.org/news-
publications/school-leader/july-august-2017-volume-48-no-1/policy-update-food-
thought/.
Stevens, Matt. "Transgender Student in Bathroom Dispute Wins Court Ruling."
The New York Times. May 23, 2018. Accessed November 06, 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/us/gavin-grimm-transgender-bathrooms.html.
