Reuters reports that Eric Dreiband was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday by a vote of 50-47 to become Assistant Attorney General heading the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Dreiband is currently a partner at the law firm of Jones Day. Prior to that he served as the EEOC's general counsel. (
Bio).
U.S. Law Week reports that many civil rights activists opposed Dreiband's nomination, recounting:
Dreiband represented the University of North Carolina when it implemented policies under the state’s since-repealed “bathroom bill,” requiring people to use gender-designated restroom facilities based on the biological sex listed on their birth certificates....
Dreiband unsuccessfully represented Abercrombie & Fitch Co. in a case in which a Muslim teenager alleged the clothing company refused to hire her because she wore a religious head scarf. He led a discrimination lawsuit challenging Abercrombie’s employee appearance requirements while at the EEOC but took the opposite position when he went into private practice.
