A federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction on Sunday (21 August) blocking the Obama administration’s transgender bathroom policy.
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A USA judge in Texas enacted the nationwide injunction following a lawsuit filed against the state of Texas and many other states.
“We are pleased the federal court has put a halt to the Obama administration’s absurd proposals for bathroom and locker room policy in our public schools”, Bevin said.
They addressed school districts, saying “your obligations under the law have not changed”, and advising them that the injunction does not block other courts or lawyers from relying on the Obama administration’s stated interpretation of the law. Paxton said officials failed to issue the directive according to federal guidelines, and the mandate contradicts preexisting laws.
The order came as numerous nation’s schools prepare to begin the new academic year and means they might not face federal sanctions if they choose to do nothing different to accommodate the restroom and locker room choices of transgender students.
His decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month temporarily blocked another order that would have allowed a transgender student to use the boys’ bathroom at a Virginia high school. O’Connor’s ruling takes effect just as students across the country are returning from summer vacation. However, legal experts say schools that allow transgender students to choose their facilities, as several in North Jersey have, can continue doing so.
The Justice Department sued the state over the law and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch likened that law to the policies of racial segregation. “That can not be allowed to continue”, Paxton said.
Following milestone achievements in gay rights including same-sex marriage becoming legal nationwide in 2015, transgender rights have become an increasingly contentious issue in the United States.
The administration’s directive enraged conservatives who say federal civil rights protections encompass biological sex, not gender identity.
The New York Times reports that a department spokeswoman, Dena W. Iverson, told the media only that the department was “disappointed” and looking into its options. In May, the U.S. Education and Justice Departments sent a letter and guidance to every school district in the U.S. reminding them of their obligations under Title IX to protect transgender students from discrimination, which includes ensuring that students can use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
The ruling does not prohibit schools that allow transgender students to use the facilities of their choice from continuing to do so.
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“We think it’s a setback for rights, but we believe, we’ve known all along, that there would be hurdles”, Richmond said.
