N.C. drops ‘bathroom bill’ lawsuit: Why that won’t settle the issue
When a new North Carolina law limiting protections for LGBT people drew fire last spring from critics who described it as an unnecessary “bathroom bill” that violates the rights of transgender people, the state sued the federal government. Gov. Pat McCrory dropped that lawsuit Friday, but the matter is far from settled, as a debate over the rights of transgender Americans rages nationwide. On the same day that North Carolina sued the federal government, the federal government sued North Carolina, alleging its new law, House Bill 2 , constitutes sex-based discrimination in education and employment in violation of three federal laws. That case, filed by the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, remains active . In dropping the state’s lawsuit, Gov. McCrory’s attorneys noted that the arguments North Carolina raised as plaintiff will be raised again as defendant in the DOJ’s suit. They cited cost-savings for the state and time-savings for the court as reasons to drop the