A federal judge has delivered another victory for Idaho's efforts to protect the privacy of students and females in school restrooms. U.S. District Judge David Nye denied a preliminary injunction request that would have blocked enforcement of our state's law requiring sex-specific school restrooms.
The Injunction Request
The Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), the group representing the LGBTQ students at Boise High School, filed a request seeking to block the law's enforcement at only their school's restrooms. This request, unlike others that have come before, focused explicitly on restrooms at one location rather than the entire statewide law.
SAGA requested emergency relief before August 11, 2025, ahead of Boise High School's fall semester starting August 12. The group argued that restrooms with stalls provide adequate privacy protection and that forcing students to use facilities matching their biological sex violates equal protection rights.
Why the Judge Blocked the Injunction
Judge Nye found SAGA unlikely to succeed on their constitutional claims because Idaho has a legitimate governmental interest in protecting student privacy. The court specifically noted "there are biological differences between men and women" and declared those differences "deserving of privacy".
The judge ruled Idaho's law "is substantially related to the State's legitimate interest in privacy". He emphasized that privacy concerns extend beyond visual exposure during restroom use, noting that other personal functions happen in restroom spaces that involve privacy interests.
The court also rejected arguments that restroom stalls eliminate privacy concerns, finding that restrooms serve multiple personal functions beyond using toilet stalls.
Background from Our Previous Coverage
As Local Yocal Idaho previously reported, transgender students filed a federal lawsuit challenging Idaho's House Bill 264, which requires state facilities to designate restrooms and changing rooms exclusively for males or females. We explained how the law "establishes new requirements for sex-segregated spaces in certain state facilities" while providing "specific protections for women's privacy."
The current case involves Idaho's Senate Bill 1100, which applies to K-12 public schools, while HB 264 covers state universities and other state facilities.
What Happens Next
This preliminary ruling allows Idaho schools to maintain sex-specific restroom facilities while the lawsuit continues through federal courts. Idaho's law includes provisions requiring schools to offer single-occupancy alternatives for students who prefer them. Attorney General Raúl Labrador celebrated the decision as
"yet another victory for common-sense and the dignity of women and girls against activists seeking to push a harmful agenda".
The ruling follows a March 2025 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that also upheld Idaho's authority to enforce similar privacy protections.
The case continues as activists pursue their broader challenge to Idaho's protection of single-sex spaces. But for now, Idaho's commitment to biological reality and student privacy remains intact in our schools.