Trans Teen in Minnesota Has a Broken Jaw After Alleged Attack Outside a School Bathroom [View all]

Trans Teen in Minnesota Has a Broken Jaw After Alleged Attack Outside a School Bathroom
Police in Minnetonka, Minnesota are investigating the alleged assault on Cobalt Sovereign, 17, as a possible hate crime.

BY SAMANTHA RIEDEL
June 6, 2024

The following contains graphic descriptions of violence against a transgender child.

A 17-year-old transgender student in Minnesota was hospitalized last week after she was attacked by a classmate in her school’s bathroom. The violent assault was caught on video.

Cobalt Sovereign, a junior at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, MN, told NBC affiliate KARE that she was trying to use the bathroom on May 30 when another student began berating her with slurs. Sovereign, who uses she/they pronouns, said that although her school does have gender-neutral facilities, they are usually occupied or too far away, so she used a bathroom designated for boys even though it made her “incredibly uncomfortable” to do so.

“In the bathroom, he [the other student] had looked over the stall directly where I was attempting to use the bathroom, and that is where he initially called me a faggot in the first place," Sovereign told KARE — a slur the other student allegedly repeated several times. When Sovereign left the bathroom, she was surrounded by a total of three students, one of whom then attacked her without provocation. Sovereign’s mother said police later showed her a video of the attack, confirming her child’s story.

“I was hit in the jaw, and at the time one of my teeth exploded, pieces in my mouth," Sovereign said. "My jaw was broken in two places [...] molar, just shattered.” Doctors said Sovereign may also have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the attack. They were hospitalized for two days afterwards, and said they later had nightmares about the attack. According to her family, Sovereign is recovering, but cannot yet eat solid foods.

[…]

She did what the bigots say they want and SHE was assaulted and had HER jaw broke for it.

A teen… a child.

Never believe them. They want us dead. VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!!!


https://www.them.us/story/cobalt-sovereign-minnesota-trans-teen-assault