When female students at Cox Mill High School in Concord, North Carolina raised concerns about their privacy in the girls' locker room, the school's principal told them officials had "decided that there isn't anything we can do" and that uncomfortable students "can go somewhere else."

That is not a response. That is a dismissal.

Student Trista Ruck brought the concerns directly to the Cabarrus County School Board in December, describing a peer who said she had noticed another student watching girls change during spring sports workouts. "She stated that this made her feel extremely uncomfortable," Ruck said. Ruck herself said she had "tried to avoid the restrooms at all costs" and accused the school's administration and athletic director of having "blatantly ignored our concerns."

The complaints were not new. Parents and students had raised concerns about locker room privacy at Cox Mill High School as far back as 2024. According to America First Legal, which filed a complaint with the Department of Education and Department of Justice this week, administrators repeatedly claimed to "not have a specific policy" and declined to act.

The then-principal reportedly described the issue as "too political to address." He has since resigned.

No student's privacy concerns should be dismissed as too political. Schools have a legal and moral obligation to create safe learning environments. When administrators refuse to respond to repeated, documented complaints about privacy in changing facilities, they fail the students in their care and potentially violate federal law.

America First Legal has requested a federal investigation into whether the school district's actions violated Title IX. We support that investigation and are calling on Cabarrus County Schools to establish clear, enforceable locker room privacy policies that address all student concerns.

Girls should not be told to "go somewhere else" when they raise concerns about their safety and dignity at school. Demand accountability.