North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has dropped the state’s lawsuit against the Department of Justice as people continue to criticize the case.
Governor Pat McCrory’s decision last week came as organizations like the NCAA and ACC announced they were pulling events from the state because of concerns over the lawsuit, reports the Daily Tarheel.
The governor’s announcement does not affect the progress of the lawsuit, House Bill 2, which challenges the Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX.
Supporters of HB2, such as Trans United Fund’s Brynn Tannehill, called McCrory’s decision to withdrawal “a tactical move” that won’t affect judicial proceedings. The trial is set to begin in May 2017.
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HB2 challenges the DOE’s directive that Title IX protects students’ right to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their gender identity. Opponents of that directive believe school community members should be forced to use facilities that correspond with their biological sex.
LGBTQ advocacy groups claim that forcing people to use biological-matching bathrooms discriminates against people who identify with the opposite gender.
In August, CS reported on a district judge’s ruling to block North Carolina’s law mandating a biological sex bathroom policy.
A larger case on bathroom policies in schools also got underway when several states challenged the federal government’s Title IX interpretation in May. That case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court, which has a 4-4 party split right now.
