JOHNSTOWN, Pa. ― The University of Pittsburgh has settled a lawsuit brought by a transgender student who said he was wrongfully expelled from its Johnstown campus after a dispute over his use of a men’s locker room.
Television station WJAC first reported the settlement Wednesday between the university and Seamus Johnston. Settlement terms haven’t been disclosed.
A federal judge ruled last year the university didn’t discriminate when it barred Johnston from men’s facilities because Johnston was still medically a woman at the time. Johnston appealed.
The university says in a joint statement with the former student it will ensure the gender identity of students is respected. It also says it’s setting up a group to recommend best practices on use of gender-specific spaces.
The university says people are welcome to use “any restroom that correspondents to their gender identity.”
