Application for Judicial Review against Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) filed today – Safe Schools Alliance UK

Feb 6, 2020 by Jill

from Safe Schools Alliance:

Safe Schools Alliance UK is supporting a landmark legal case against Oxfordshire County Council on the grounds that its use of the Trans Inclusion Toolkit for Schools 2019 is seriously flawed and poses a risk to children.

We are offering our support to a 13-year-old girl and her parents as she files a request for a Judicial Review against OCC on the basis the toolkit puts her at risk and does not respect her rights to privacy or dignity.

The claimant, a 13-year-old Oxfordshire girl who cannot be named for legal reasons said: “The toolkit has a very significant impact on me as a girl. I am very surprised that the council never asked the opinion of girls in Oxfordshire about what we thought before they published the toolkit. Under these guidelines I have no right to privacy from the opposite sex in changing rooms, loos or on residential trips. Sports could end up being unsafe as I am a really small teenage girl and boys are bigger than girls. This guidance could be used in any educational establishment in Oxfordshire, which possible includes sports clubs.”

“The guidance makes me feel that my desire for privacy, dignity, safety and respect is wrong. It makes me feel sad, powerless and confused. I recently did my level 1 safeguarding course for guider training and I don’t understand how allowing boys and girls to share private spaces is okay“.

Vicki Edwards, who decided to withdraw her claim against OCC in order to support Miss A is crowdfunding to support the case. Details can be found here.

Read here