A federal court judge has denied a preliminary injunction that would have allowed a transgender Gloucester High School student to use the restroom of his choice when school began this week.

GHS junior Gavin Grimm sought the injunction while his federal lawsuit against the Gloucester School Board is pending. The suit claims that the board’s policy limiting restrooms and locker rooms to corresponding biological sexes is discriminatory. Grimm was born a female but identifies as a male and seeks to use the boys’ restrooms at GHS.

During a July hearing in Norfolk, U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. Doumar said it was highly unlikely he would award the temporary injunction. He issued the order denying the request on Friday and said a written opinion detailing the reasons for the denial would be forthcoming. Grimm filed a notice of appeal of the order on Tuesday.

The pending lawsuit, filed in June on behalf of Grimm by the American Civil Liberties Union, claimed that the board...