NW Illinois News

Illinois State Senator Andrew Chesney announced that a school district has been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly forcing a female student to change in a locker room with a biological male. Chesney made this statement through a Facebook post on April 9.

"An Illinois school district that faced national scrutiny for allegations of forcing middle school girls to change in the same locker room as a transgender student has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for potential violations of federal and state law," said Chesney, according to Facebook.

According to Chesney, he shared an article from Fox News regarding an incident at Deerfield Public School District 109 in February. A parent claimed her daughter was compelled to change clothes in a female-only locker room alongside a biological male student. The report indicated that America First Legal submitted a criminal referral to the DOJ on April 8, calling for an investigation into the district and Alan B. Shepard Middle School. The referral alleges that the district breached the Conspiracy Against Rights statute, which penalizes conspiracies to infringe upon constitutional rights or privileges.

Screenshot of State Senator Andrew Chesney's April 9 Facebook post | State Senator Andrew Chesney's Facebook page

At a school board meeting held on March 11, Nicole Georgas recounted how her daughter left the locker room after administrators attempted to coerce her into changing in front of a biological male. This incident reportedly took place in February when female students at Shepard Middle School noticed a boy in their locker room while preparing for gym class. As reported by the Lake County Gazette, several administrators, including Assistant Principal Cathy Van Treese, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Joanna Ford, and Director of Student Services Ginger Logemann, reprimanded the girls and tried to compel them to change regardless.

Chesney has represented Illinois' 45th Senate District since 2023. Before his election to the senate, he served as a representative for the 89th House District starting in December 2018. His previous roles include being an elected member of the Freeport City Council and serving as a board member of the Regional Access Mobilization Project (RAMP), which provides support services and advocacy for individuals with disabilities. He is also noted as having been a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters.