Virginia school accused of failing to protect trans teen from planned attack

On October 5, 2022, transgender high school student Tatiana Blount was the victim of a violent attack planned by fellow students that left her with serious and permanent injuries, according to a report from Norfolk, Virginia, ABC affiliate WVEC. Now, Blount is suing Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk for damages, attorneys’ fees, and court costs, claiming school authorities ignored her multiple requests for intervention and protection.

The suit alleges that school officials displayed “gross negligence” and their actions violated Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Gender dysphoria is considered a disability under the ADA.) It goes on to state that the officials knew she faced persistent bullying and harassment because of her gender identity; however, they failed to provide reasonable accommodations to help keep her safe, even after several requests by Blount and her mother to do so.

Blount began attending Lake Taylor High School in 2021, where she experienced severe bullying throughout her freshman year. The only action taken by school authorities at that time was having Blount expelled for the remainder of the school year for defending herself against a bully, she claims.

According to the suit, just before the start of her sophomore year, Blount's mother met with the school’s principal, Latesha Wade-Jenkins, to discuss concerns for her daughter’s safety and well-being on campus. Wade-Jenkins agreed to inform teachers of Blount’s preferred name and pronouns, but did not provide any additional safety accommodations. Throughout September and October of 2022, Blount and her mother reported multiple incidents of harassment to school officials. These incidents included groups of students making comments about her body, confronting her in the restroom, misgendering her, and, most disturbing of all, physically assaulting her on the school bus by pulling at her clothing to expose her bra and chest.

Despite the severity of the escalating bullying, the suit alleges that school officials ignored Blount’s mother’s requests to provide supervision for Tatiana during transitions between classes, lunch periods, and other unsupervised times when the bullying typically occurred. Blount’s mother claims she attended at least five meetings with school administrators about these concerns.

Related: Federal authorities are investigating attacks on transgender and Latino students in Virginia

The harassment reached a violent climax in October of 2022, when a group of students began sharing plans on social media to “jump” Blount. The suit goes on to state that when Blount’s mother provided screenshots of the threatening posts to the principal, her requests for additional safety precautions were again denied, and Wade-Jenkins suggested that Blount should just transfer to another school.

The attack was carried out on October 5, 2022, exactly as outlined in the students’ online threats, according to the lawsuit. During the violent assault, Blount was allegedly kicked repeatedly while on the ground and lost consciousness multiple times. The complaint also states that school officials did not call for emergency medical services after the attack.

Blount says she suffered multiple serious injuries from the assault, including traumatic brain injury, a concussion, and other injuries affecting her head, face, neck, chest, back, and legs. The lawsuit also claims the brain injuries resulted in permanent cognitive impairment.

In addition to the lasting physical damage she now lives with, Blount left traditional, in-person schooling due to the mental and emotional trauma caused by the ordeal.

Related: Three teens may be charged in assault on trans boy in Massachusetts

Ultimately, the lawsuit alleges Norfolk Public Schools “failed to provide reasonable accommodations that would have allowed Blount to safely access her education and protect her from disability-based harassment.”

“Not everybody is as accepting, but when you’re in a public school building, you should be accepting,” Stacie Walls, CEO of the LGBT Life Center, told the press after the suit was announced. “Over the years, trans people have been treated poorly in school. And part of it is, there just wasn’t policy.”

Walls added that it’s important to call out the negligence of the school officials, especially in a case so extreme and violent. “I want people to know that kids will be watching to see if adults are going to be held accountable for how they treat kids just like them.”