The ACLU, Equality North Carolina and three individuals yesterday filed a federal lawsuit challenging a statute enacted last week in North Carolina which bars transgender individuals from using school and public agency bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. The law also more broadly pre-empts local anti-discrimination laws. (See prior posting.) The complaint (full text) in Carcaño v. McCrory, (MD NC, filed 3/28/2016) contends that the law was enacted for the purpose of disadvantaging members of the LGBT community and is based on animus against LGBT people. Plaintiffs allege that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and infringes their right to privacy and right to refuse unwanted medical treatment. Wall Street Journal reports on the lawsuit.
UPDATE: North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said at a news conference that he will not defend the state's new law against the challenge in this lawsuit. He called the law a national embarrassment and unconstitutional. Cooper is running against incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory who signed the anti-transgender bill. (AP, BuzzFeed, 3/29/2016).
