(NECN: Marnie Maclean, Portland, Maine) - A landmark decision came Thursday from Maine's Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of a transgender student who said she was discriminated against because her school made her use a staff bathroom instead of the girls' bathroom.
Nicole Maines was in fifth grade at a school in Orono back in 2007. She had been identifying herself as a girl for years and had been using the girls bathroom.
When a grandparent of a boy student complained, the school changed its position and made Nicole use a staff bathroom.
Her family sued the school in 2009 with the help of the Maine Human Rights Commission. A lower court ruled in favor of the school, but
the Maine Supreme Court has now issued a majority opinion that Nicole's rights were violated and she should have been allowed to use the girls bathroom.
The Maine Civil Liberties Union calls the decision a major victory and says it could help transgender students across the country.
A lawyer for the Orono schools says despite the loss in court, the decision will now provide schools across Maine with guidelines on how
to handle similar situations with transgender students.
Nicole said the weight of the ruling hasn't hit her yet, but she is feeling "over the moon" and happy about the decision.
Politics
Maines is now a junior in high school. She moved to Southern Maine with her family several years ago.
