In a letter dated Wednesday, May 4, 2016, Vanita Gupta, a representative of the US Department of Justice, told North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory that his state’s new law, HB2, is in violation of federal law. As a result, NC could lose a great deal of federal money.
According to The Daily Signal,
The letter says that under HB2, North Carolina is “in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.” Title VII prohibits any employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of sex. Experts disagree on whether Title VII applies to transgender people.
The letter also says that HB2 violates Title IX, which is the federal civil rights law that bans discrimination on the basis of sex in any program that receives federal education dollars. It has also been debated whether or not Title IX applies to transgender students, with courts ruling on both sides.
The Charlotte Observer reported, “If the finding [cited in the letter] is upheld, North Carolina could lose federal education funding. During the current school year, state public schools received $861 million. In 2014-2015, the University of North Carolina system got $1.4 billion.”
This is bullying on the part of the federal government, bullying documented in this video from the Family Research Council.
Chris Gacek, the Senior Fellow for Regulatory Policy at the Family Research Council, noted that a threatening letter had been sent, not a judge’s ruling. He further stated that the DOJ is promoting “a radical re-interpretation of ‘sex’ in these statutory sections of Title VII. And even if [leaders] were to go this route on ‘sex,’ it’s not clear that bathrooms arranged biologically should be unlawful.”
Governor McCrory understands the ominous implications of the Obama administration’s strong-arming states to comply with its twisted interpretation of federal law. In part of his official statement about the letter, he said, “The Obama administration has not only staked out its position for North Carolina, but for all states, universities and most employers in the U.S.” In other words, this no longer is a state issue, but a national one.
With Republican majorities in both the US House and the US Senate, it is inexcusable that a chorus of voices of outrage isn’t arising in Washington, DC.
With Republican majorities in both the US House and the US Senate, it is inexcusable that a chorus of outrage isn’t arising in Washington, DC.
In a related matter taking place in another state, 51 families are suing to halt implementation of a bathroom policy in a suburban Chicago school district that would use of restroom facilities based on self-identity and preference rather than biology. Jeremy Tedesco, an attorney representing the families, said, “Every day of the school year a certain number of girls have to share the locker room space with a biological male and it makes them incredibly uncomfortable, stressed and anxious about the things going on in their school day. Protecting students from inappropriate exposure to the opposite sex is not only perfectly legal, it’s a school district’s duty.”
Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families, a conservative political action committee, has some strong words for the members of Congress:
- With regard to North Carolina: “Members of Congress should be issuing press releases condemning the Obama Administration for threatening to cut off federal education funding in North Carolina that overwhelmingly benefits poor minority children.”
- With regard to Illinois: “Again, I have to ask, where are our leaders in Congress? They should be issuing press releases and letters to the editor daily. There should be hearings on this issue every week.”
Are members of Congress afraid? They shouldn’t be! The results of the growing boycott against Target Stores because of their new bathroom policy is undeniable evidence the American people oppose what the administration is attempting to do.
Members of Congress, speak up!
Copyright © 2016 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All Rights Reserved.