Transsexual teenager attacked in boys’ bathroom and hospitalized with broken jaw

Photo: Screenshot KARE 11 News

A transgender teenager was attacked by a classmate while using the boys’ bathroom at her high school last Thursday. The attack left her with a broken jaw and hospitalized for two days.

Cobalt Sovereign, a 17-year-old girl and 11th-grade high school student, was in a boys’ restroom at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, when a male student peered over the stall she was using and began taunting her with a homophobic slur, she said.

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As she was about to leave, the boy gave her a nasty punch in the face.

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“One of my teeth exploded, there were pieces in my mouth and my jaw was broken in two places,” Sovereign told KARE 11 News. “One of my top molars shattered.” She can’t eat solid food.

Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.

A rally at the high school on Wednesday drew hundreds of supporters for Sovereign and trans rights. Among the speakers was Minnesota State Rep. Brion Curran (D), who said: LGBTQ Nation She was disturbed by the school’s inaction following the attack.

“It’s bad enough that they had a broken jaw that required surgery,” Curran said of the victim. “But no ambulance was called. The police were not called. So the lack of response from the school is certainly concerning. They didn’t really respond to it until they found out about a large demonstration that was planned.”

“Don’t mess with our family,” Curran added, “because we are watching and we will hold people accountable.”

Speaking to local press, Sovereign’s brother Wilder said he was outraged by the hateful attack on his sister.

“She was punched in the jaw and hit from behind so hard that she later had to go to hospital and have jaw surgery to treat the injuries,” he said. “She had experienced signs of transphobia before, as most, if not all, trans people do. But it was never this bad, it never got to the point of being an outright attack.”

Sovereign said she used a boys’ bathroom because the school’s multi-gender bathrooms were often used and secluded. She said she would “rather feel uncomfortable than embarrass other people by using the women’s bathroom.”

Police and school administration have not released any information about the identity of Sovereign’s attacker.

Hannah Edwards, rally organizer and director of Transforming Families Minnesota, told rally attendees, “Our transgender youth deserve protection. They deserve love, they deserve safety, and they deserve equal learning opportunities in their public schools.”

“You deserve dignity and a life of opportunity,” Edwards told Sovereign and her trans youth supporters. “You are beautiful just the way you are.”

District officials declined to comment on Sovereign’s attack, but described Hopkins High as an “inclusive community that values ​​diversity and inclusion.”

A statement from the district continued: “We will address any issues that threaten the safety and inclusivity of our school environment. We support and stand with any marginalized group, including our LGBTQ+ students and staff.”

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