By Bradford Richardson - The Washington Times
A federal judge is halting the
Obama administrations order compelling public schools nationwide to permit restroom and locker room access on the basis of gender identity.
U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor said the
administration failed to comply" with federal rule-making procedures siding with Texas and 12 other states that sued the federal government over the order.
Defendants are enjoined from enforcing the Guidelines against Plaintiffs and their respective schools school boards and other public educationally-based institutions" the judge ordered Sunday.
Mr. OConnor made clear that the resolution of this difficult policy issue is not however the subject of this order."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is pleased that the court ruled against the
Obama Administrations latest illegal federal overreach."
This President is attempting to rewrite the laws enacted by the elected representatives of the people and is threatening to take away federal funding from schools to force them to conform" Mr. Paxton said in a statement. That cannot be allowed to continue which is why we took action to protect States and School Districts who are charged under state law to establish a safe and disciplined environment conducive to student learning."
Sarah Warbelow legal director for the Human Rights Campaign said the order puts thousands of transgender students at even greater risk of marginalization harassment and discrimination as they return to school this fall."
All students regardless of their gender identity deserve to be able to learn in an environment free from discrimination" Ms. Warbelow said in a statement.
The
Obama administration issued an order in May compelling public schools across the nation to grant transgender students access to bathrooms locker rooms and shower facilities corresponding with their gender identity. Noncompliant schools risk losing millions in federal education funding.
Other states that joined the lawsuit over the order include Alabama Arizona Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maine Mississippi Oklahoma Tennessee Utah West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The ruling comes amid a heated national debate about how the public should accommodate transgender individuals for the purpose of sex-specific intimate facilities.
A separate coalition of 10 states is also suing the
Obama administration over the order and a group of 51 Chicago-area families filed a lawsuit in May in response to the edict.
The Supreme Court earlier this month granted a temporary injunction blocking a lower courts order that would have allowed a biologically female student to use the boys restroom.
And the U.S. Department of Justice and North Carolina filed dueling lawsuits against one another in May over a state law regulating public facilities on the basis of biological sex.
