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VIDEO: Transgender student sues Cal Baptist for expulsion after appearing on MTV's 'True Life'
Domaine Javier is suing Christian university Cal Baptist for violating anti-discrimination laws. She was expelled after revealing her biological gender on MTV's "True Life."
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MTV's "True Life"
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A transgender woman is suing California Baptist University for expelling her after she revealed on MTV's "True Life" that she is biologically male.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise says 25-year-old Domaine Javier's lawsuit alleges the private Christian university, which has about 5,000 students, violated California anti-discrimination laws and is in breach of contract. The Superior Court suit seeks $500,000 in damages.
Javier says she was expelled in August 2011 after her MTV appearance on the "True Life: I'm Passing As Someone I'm Not" episode. Monday's lawsuit says she was expelled because she is transgender.
In the episode, she talks about her struggle with her secret:
"I've always defined myself as female, but I am a girl, trapped in a guy's body. My mom always wanted a baby girl. When I came out, she's like, 'Oh my god, it's a boy.' When suddenly my dad snapped out of the picture, my mom was like, 'Okay, I am going to turn this kid into a girl.' My mom would dress me in fancy girly clothing. I embraced it because it's how I felt on the inside. … I have been passing as a girl ever since I was 13 years old."
University documents say Javier was expelled because of "fraud, or concealing identity." University lawyer Theodore Stream has refused to comment on the suit because he hasn't seen it.
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