A transgender girl was hospitalized with a broken jaw after she was allegedly attacked by a classmate at a Minnesota high school.
Cobalt Sovereign, 17, told NBC affiliate KARE 11 this week that he was attacked by a male student on May 30 while leaving the men’s bathroom at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, about 15 miles west of Minneapolis. Suveren said he was in the hospital for two days and had to have his jaw repaired.
“I was hit in the jaw and one of my teeth was knocked out, there were pieces in my mouth,” Sovereign said SQUARE 11. “My jaw was broken in two places”
Suveren said the male student called him homophobic slurs before hitting him.
“In the bathroom, he looked directly at the stall where I was trying to use the bathroom and called me a f—– first thing,” Sovereign said.
Sovereign said she then got up from the bathroom and went to confront him verbally.
“He had nothing against me, I never spoke to him and I never did anything negative to him,” Sovereign said. “And they insulted me and I ended up getting shot in the jaw.”
Sovereign said there were gender-segregated bathrooms at Hopkins High School, but he did not try to use them on the day of the alleged attack because they are usually occupied or out of the way.
“I’d rather be inconvenienced than inconvenience others by using the women’s bathroom,” she said.
The Minnetonka Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sovereign, without naming the department He told KARE 11 This week, they were investigating the incident at Hopkins High School as a “possible hate crime.”
A spokesperson for Hopkins Public Schools told NBC News in an email 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.”
“Hopkins Public Schools is an inclusive community that values diversity and inclusion,” the spokesperson said. “We will address any issues that undermine the safety and inclusiveness of our school environment. We support and stand by any marginalized group, including our LGBTQ+ scientists and staff.”
Students, activists and some local MPs held an action in front of the school Condemning the attack on the Sovereign on Wednesday.
Democratic State Rep. Leigh Finke, the first openly transgender person elected to the Minnesota Legislature, posted a photo of herself at the rally on Instagram and compared the alleged attack on Sovereign to the death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict.
Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender student who used the pronouns he/him and they/onaccording to friends and family members, He committed suicide The day after the fight at Owasso High School in February. Benedict’s death was a rallying cry for LGBTQ activists. historical numbers of anti-trans legislation made trans children less safe at school.
“These attacks are all too common, and the actions of the agencies responsible for our children are consistently callous, callous and dangerous,” Finke said. wrote on his Instagram page. “Cobalt lived. thank god Nex didn’t. Please help us not to be next time.”
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