Trial for transgender woman accused of public indecency at Xenia YMCA postponed

ajc.com

The legal trial of a transgender woman charged with public indecency has been continued, after a pretrial hearing on Feb. 3, court records show. A rescheduled date has not yet been set.

Rachel Glines was charged in Xenia Municipal Court with three counts of public indecency, for incidents at the YMCA in September, November, and a third incident between November 2021 and 2022 in which three underage girls were present. The charges are all fourth-degree misdemeanors.

Glines’ lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the third count last Thursday, saying the vagueness of the accusation is a violation of Glines’ right to due process, according to the filing. In an objection filed the next day, the state argued the lack of an exact date is not a “material detriment” to the criminal case.

Glines was charged after Xenia police received “several complaints of a naked man in the females’ locker room” of the YMCA branch, which is located on Progress Drive in Xenia, according to the criminal complaint.

The case received national attention after Xenia city council President Will Urschel said during a meeting of the Greene County Tea Party that the city could potentially prosecute the YMCA branch, a claim that Xenia’s law department has denied, citing lack of a preponderance of evidence.

Urschel’s comments also drew criticism from LGBTQ activist groups after implying that the city could be the first in Ohio to ban LGBTQ protections for public accommodations.

Last year, Greene County Prosecutor David Hayes, at the request of Xenia officials, sought an opinion from the Ohio Attorney General about whether state anti-discrimination law applies to public restrooms in city buildings and parks as well. the Ohio AG’s office has not yet responded with that legal opinion.

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