NC politicians take stances in transgender bathrooms case

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper declined Gov. Pat McCrory’s request to sign a friend-of-the-court brief in a district case regarding transgender bathrooms in public schools last week.

The amicus curiae brief opposes the complaint of G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board, which was filed earlier this year when a transgender student, Gavin Grimm, was barred from using the boys bathroom in his Virginia school.

“During that time, there were no disturbances and that corresponds with the experience of many other states that have allowed (similar measures),” said Chris Brook, legal director of the North Carolina chapter of the ACLU.

Gloucester County changed its policy after it received complaints from parents and residents, which led the ACLU to sue the school district for discrimination.

Seth Stephens, spokesperson for Orange County Schools, said there are no policies pertaining to transgender students, specifically.

“But we certainly have anti-discriminatory policies,” Stephens said. “We want to make sure that we are supporting all students.”

As the case has progressed, several friend-of-the-court briefs have arisen.

The Obama administration filed a brief in support of Grimm, while South Carolina filed an opposing amicus curiae brief — which McCrory requested Cooper sign on to.

Cooper’s office released a Twitter statement detailing his denial of support. He said the governor was politicizing and bullying for re-election.

In a press release, the governor said the measure would disregard safety and privacy concerns of parents, guardians and students, and North Carolina was already supportive of all students — including those who identify as transgender.

“North Carolina schools are already capable of working with students struggling with their gender identity in a compassionate manner to accommodate their needs while preserving the rights of students and parents,” McCrory said in the statement.

Chris Sgro, executive director of Equality N.C said the narrative of trans students endangering others in restrooms is harmful to the trans community..

“Being a sexual predator is already illegal,” he said. “The people who are really at risk when they need to use the bathroom are transgender people.”

The governor’s press release also stated the case is a form of federal overreach, which he said was unacceptable and unnecessary.

“A decision favoring the Obama Administration in the Fourth Circuit would be binding precedent on North Carolina federal courts,” McCrory said in the statement. “It would remove local districts’ flexibility and force the federal government’s extreme views on all of our schools.”

But Brook said federal overreach arguments are often used unsuccessfully against civil right advances.

“That’s been the argument to oppose civil rights advances for more than a hundred years,” he said.

state@dailytarheel.com