A transgender Minnesota high school student had her jaw broken in two places after using the men’s room.
Cobalt Sovereign, 17, says she was attacked by a fellow student on May 30 as she left the bathroom at Hopkins High School.
She said the student looked at the stall and called her a ‘f****t’ and then punched her in the face as she left.
Sovereign, who uses she/her pronouns, KARE said: ‘I was hit in the jaw and at that moment one of my teeth exploded, pieces in my mouth.’
She was rushed to hospital and three titanium plates were placed in her jaw. The school has taken disciplinary action against the alleged attacker and Minnetonka police are investigating.
Cobalt Sovereign, 17, says she was attacked by a fellow student as she left the bathroom at Hopkins High School on May 30
Sovereign said she was using the men’s room between classes when a fellow student peered into the stall she was in.
She told KARE: ‘In the bathroom he had looked at the toilet where I was trying to use the bathroom, and that’s where he initially called me a f—–.’
She said she then left the stall and walked out of the bathroom, where he was waiting.
He then allegedly punched her in the face, breaking her jaw in two places and shattering a tooth.
She said: ‘He had no reason to have anything against me, I never spoke to him, never did anything negative to him.
“And I was insulted and finally punched in the jaw.”
Sovereign was rushed to hospital, where she underwent a long operation to place three titanium plates in her jaw.
The school has gender-neutral toilets, but these are often crowded or remote.
Sovereign said she’s never been afraid to use the men’s room before, but it makes her “incredibly uncomfortable.”
She said: ‘I would rather feel uncomfortable than make other people uncomfortable by using the women’s toilet.’
The school has gender-neutral toilets, but these are often crowded or remote
After the attack, she said she has had nightmares and will need months of further treatment and surgery.
A spokesperson for Hopkins Public Schools told NBC News that the school district and police are “investigating an act of violence that occurred last Thursday involving a student who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community.”
They added, “Hopkins Public Schools is an inclusive community that values diversity and inclusion.
“We will address any issues that threaten the safety and inclusivity of our school environment.
“We support and stand with every group that is marginalized, including our LGBTQ+ scientists and staff.”