Police in Minnetonka, Minnesota are currently investigating a possible hate crime after Cobalt Sovereign was sent to the hospital after being punched in the jaw when she left the bathroom, which was caught on video.
Sovereign, a junior at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, tells NBC News that she was trying to use the bathroom on May 30 when she was suddenly berating her with slurs. The school has gender-neutral bathrooms, but the facilities are further away, so she decided to use the men’s restroom for convenience despite being uncomfortable.
“In the bathroom, he had looked over the stall directly where I was attempting to use the bathroom, and that is where he initially called me a f—– in the first place,” Sovereign says. She would leave the stall only to be confronted by her assailants physically.
Her dad took her to the hospital, where doctors told the family she had several breaks in the jaw and fractured teeth, she is currently recovering but can’t eat solid foods.
Family of 17 y.o. Cobalt Sovereign have shared this photo- Sovereign, a trans girl and HS Jr, suffered broken jaw, teeth and possible TBI after an incident PD is investigating as a “possible hate crime” at Hopkins High School on 5/30. Fam says she was called slur, attacked. @wcco pic.twitter.com/UlRJvLvnIu — Adam Duxter (@AdamDuxter) June 5, 2024
“Frankly, she’s experienced, like, glimmers of transphobia before this just naturally, as most if not all trans people do,” Cobalt’s brother Wilder Sovereign tells WCCO. “But it’s never been this bad. It’s never gone to the point of full-on assault. So I’m disgusted by that facet of our community.”
However, many people stood up for Cobalt on Wednesday the same week. They were forming a rally in numbers outside of Hopkins High School in protest for justice and accountability, which included Minnesota Rep. Leigh Finke, the state’s first openly transgender legislator, who posted on Instagram saying, “The attack happened last week, and it bears frightening similarities to the attack that resulted in the death of Nex Benedict. The school did not call ambulance. The school did not file a police report. Students and families were not notified. It wasn’t until our rally was announced yesterday (June 4th) that authorities began to move… Cobalt Lived. Thank Goodness. Nex did not.”
If you are a trans person currently struggling with resources, mental health, or suicidal ideation, please seek help. There are many resources and groups for you to connect with online.
