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A Davis County teen will be allowed to try out for her junior high school wrestling team this week after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday in her anti-discrimination lawsuit against the Davis County School District.
Kathleen Janis, a ninth-grader at Central Davis Junior High School, has been trying for more than a year to claim a spot on her school's all-male wrestling team but has been denied by school officials who claim the district's policy does not allow it.
The girl's mother, Kelly Janis, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court last week, and Judge Robert J. Shelby granted a temporary order Thursday that will allow Kathleen to begin wrestling activities.
"We're extraordinarily happy," the Janises' attorney, Stewart Gollan, said. "We think it was appropriate under the fact given the clear constitutional violations that were occurring."
The temporary order expires in 14 days, giving the two sides more time to argue their cases.
"This was obviously a very time-sensitive issue," Gollan said. "My client's daughter needs to be able to have access to the wrestling program within the next couple of days to be able to participate on the same basis as a male would."
According to the lawsuit, Kathleen began wrestling two years ago and still competes with the Davis County based Empire Wrestling club, practicing and competing with male and female athletes.
Kathleen attempted to try out for the school team last year but was told females could only serve as team managers because, according to the lawsuit, officials had concerns about "inappropriate or sexual touching."
The school district does allow females to wrestle at the high school level.
"This seems like an arbitrary decision," Gollan said about the district's policy at the junior high level.
Twitter: @aaronfalk