North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory speaks to NBC’s Chuck Todd (screen grab)
A school district in North Carolina announced this week that its students can choose which bathroom to use based on their gender identity, and Gov. Pat McCrory is not happy.
The Republican governor released a statement Tuesday condemning the decision after the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District revealed its plans to buck the recently passed House Bill 2, a law that in part rolls back protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and forces public school students to use restrooms that correspond to their biological sex, the Huffington Post reported. Starting in the fall, the 146,000 students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg system can base the facilities they use on their identities — something McCrory does not agree with.
“Instead of providing reasonable accommodations for some students facing unique circumstances, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System made a radical change to their shower, locker room and restroom policy for all students,” McCrory’s press secretary, Graham Wilson, said in a statement to WJZY. “This curiously-timed announcement that changes the basic expectations of privacy for students comes just after school let out and defies transparency, especially for parents. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System should have waited for the courts to make a decision instead of purposely breaking state law.”
The school district’s attorney, George Battle III, told the Charlotte Observer the system wasn’t trying to fight HB2, which was passed in March. He said the district was following a precedent set by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in April that the Title IX anti-discrimination law covers transgender students’ right to choose their restrooms.
“That’s the law of the land for five states that are in the 4th Circuit, North Carolina being one of those states,” Battle told the Observer.
Full Story at Raw Story. I am seriously pleased the school district is doing right by students, but I’ll admit to some happy pleasure at seeing McCrory publicly smacked.
Tsk, the School District looked at the law correctly, and that the Federal laws trump State laws. Another blow to those who think “State’s Rights” mean they can give the Feds a middle finger salute and ignore the law of the land with their bigotry.
Considering that his political party is in a power-dive toward the cumulogranite, he’s probably aware that this is his chance to get a bit of assholery done before he’s out the door. I hope he enjoys it, it’s gonna cost him his career and his legacy. I’ll be surprised if anyone remembers he ever existed, 5 years from now.
I hope Pat McCrory’s name lives on for decades to come in the same way George Wallace is still remembered. Legacy indeed…
I find it particularly amusing that it is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. Charlotte is where the whole HB2 fiasco began with the passage of the anti-discrimination ordinance by the Charlotte City Council and the over-reaction by the republican legislature and McCrory.
As far as McCrory’s legacy, I think he has pretty much assured that he will go down as the one-term bigot who codified the hatred directed towards LGBT people into discriminatory laws. The time of his ilk will pass and their numbers will continue to shrink.