“In the letter, Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general, said, “…The Department of Justice has determined that, as a result of compliance with and implementation of NC House Bill2, both you and the state of NC are in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act 0f 1964… “Denying such access to transgender individuals, whose gender identity is different from their gender assigned at birth, while affording it to similarly situated non-transgender employees, violates Title VII”.
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A Department of Justice official, who asked not to be named, told BuzzFeed News the agency hopes North Carolina will comply voluntarily with federal law.
“This is no longer just a North Carolina issue, because this conclusion by the Department of Justice impacts every state”, McCrory said during a forum with the state’s chamber of commerce.
“A claim by the Obama administration charges that one part of House Bill 2, which requires state employees in public government buildings and students in our universities to use a restroom, locker room and shower facility that match their biological sex, is now in violation of federal law”, he said in a statement.
Wednesday, he responded to the Justice Department’s letter.
“Federal courts and administrative agencies have applied Title VII to discrimination against transgender individuals based on sex, including gender identity…” In early April, Deutsche Bank AG announced that it would freeze plans to expand in North Carolina because of the law and Bruce Springsteen said he wouldn’t bring his concert tour to the state. He released a “Myths vs Facts” press release, saying their federal funding for public schools wasn’t at risk because of HB2. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory later signed the legislation, which dealt a blow to the LGBT movement after success with protections in cities across the country.
WUNC adds that North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore also weighed in: “I’m always frustrated when the federal government overreaches on something like this”. We’ve gotten firm guidance from the Department of Justice that we’re in violation of the federal Civil Rights Act.
McCrory and GOP legislators “were warned about these dire consequences, but they ignored the law and the North Carolinians it would harm and passed the bill anyway”, said a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, which helped filed the lawsuit.
The law also declares that state law overrides all local ordinances concerning wages, employment and public accommodations.
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Critics have decried the move, along with similar measures in other states, as an attack on the LGBT community.
