U.S. District Judge James V. Selna has ruled that Charlene Nguon, a 17-year-old lesbian whose high school principal, Ben Wolf, revealed her homosexuality to her mother last year, can sue the Garden Grove Unified School District claiming violation of privacy rights.

“This is the first court ruling we’re aware of where a judge has recognized that a student has a right not to have her sexual orientation disclosed to her parents, even if she is out of the closet at school,” said Christine Sun, an ACLU attorney who brought the case on behalf of Nguon and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.

“Coming out is a very serious decision that should not be taken away from anyone, and disclosure can cause a lot of harm to students who live in an unsupportive home,” Sun said.

Read Judge James V. Selna’s decision here.