The Brief Appeal Filed In Transgender Bathroom Ruling

The Big Conversation                                                by Alex Samuels

On Thursday, the Obama administration filed notice that it will appeal a Texas judge’s ruling that blocks federal guidelines for transgender student bathroom use.  

Fort Worth-based Judge Reed O’Connor affirmed Tuesday that his preliminary injunction against the transgender bathroom guidelines apply nationwide, not just in the 13 states that tried to block the federal ruling.

Despite claims from opponents of the federal directive that the “status quo” should remain in place, the Obama administration says it is asking the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn O’Connor’s injunction.  

As the Tribune’s Alexa Ura reports, O’Connor’s issued his original ruling in August on the same day that millions of Texas children headed back to school.

However, the legal battle began in early May when the Obama administration said that discrimination against transgender students violated Title IX and that transgender students had the right to use their preferred bathrooms in public schools. 

While Attorney General Ken Paxton has not immediately commented on the Obama administration’s appeal, he’s been at the forefront of the federal controversy.

Citing concerns over the privacy and safety surrounding the use of school bathrooms, Paxton challenged the administration’s guidelines in May, claiming that Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex but not gender identity. 

This article was originally published by The Texas Tribune.