Ever since seventh grade, Zachary Greenwald has had a passion for dance. Now 16 and a student at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, it seemed like a natural choice for Zachary to join the school’s dance team. However, the Minnesota State High School League has barred him from competing on the Hopkins Royelles Dance Team — because of his gender.

Zachary is pursuing legal action as a high school junior, suing the Minnesota State High School League on the grounds of gender discrimination. His lawyers, who also represent another student, Dmitri Moua, filed a lawsuit in July alleging that the league violated both the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The request was rejected by a federal judge, according to the Washington Post, but Zachary’s lawyers appealed that ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in November, and now are waiting for a decision. Teen Vogue has reached out to the Minnesota State High School League for comment.

“Title IX [has] allowed girls to compete on boys high school sports teams if there wasn't a girls parallel,” Zachary told Teen Vogue. “But it doesn't go the opposite way for boys. I can't be on dance team. If there is a boy that plays volleyball and there’s no boys volleyball team, he can't play on the girls volleyball team. We're specifically trying to reverse it for dance team.” Read more via Teen Vogue