A federal judge blocked Obama administration guidance that transgender public school students must be allowed to use bathrooms of their choice, granting a nationwide injunction sought by a group of 13 states led by Texas.
The ruling comes not long after Target (No. 22 on the 2016 Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) announced its $20 million plan to add a private bathroom to each of its stores, and a week after the General Services Administration (GSA) released guidelines for federal buildings to allow transgender employees and visitors to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
Reed O’Connor, a judge for the Northern District of Texas, said in a decision late on Sunday that the Obama administration did not follow proper procedures for notice and comment in issuing the guidelines. He said the guidelines contradict with existing legislative and regulatory texts.
