State of Texas v. United States of America

Description:  Texas and multiple other states filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration’s directive to public schools that would force students of the opposite sex to share rooms on overnight school trips and undress in the same locker room.

Court reaffirms rights of local schools to protect student privacy in locker rooms

Wednesday, Oct 19, 2016

 
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Matt Sharp regarding a federal district court’s limited nationwide order Tuesday in State of Texas v. United States of America that reaffirms his previous order prohibiting the Obama administration from forcing public schools to allow boys into girls’ locker rooms, showers, and restrooms while the lawsuit of several states moves forward. The court found that both Title IX and Title VII rely on the consistent, uniform application of national standards in education and workplace policy. Because the May 2016 “Dear Colleague" letter from the Obama administration that redefined “sex” under Title IX to include gender identity impacted every public school and university, a nationwide injunction was needed to prevent harm to children in other parts of the country:

“The Obama administration cannot hold hostage the privacy rights and dignity interests of boys and girls across America. The federal court’s affirmation of its previous order halting the administration’s unlawful threats against schools across the nation preserves the authority of local schools to act in the best interest of their students and not out of fear of being stripped of their federal funding. The court made clear that the administration’s unlawful actions put children at risk, and that it cannot unilaterally disregard and redefine federal law to accomplish its political agenda of forcing girls to share locker rooms and showers with boys. Schools have a duty to protect the privacy, safety, and dignity of all students, and this order ensures that they may continue to fulfill that duty.”
 
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
 

# # #

Previous News Releases

Court stops federal overreach, says schools can protect student privacy in locker rooms
Monday, Aug 22, 2016

Legal Documents

Complaint: State of Texas v. United States of America
Preliminary injunction order: State of Texas v. United States of America
Clarification order: State of Texas v. United States of America

Related Resources

Card Image
ABOUT Matt Sharp

Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF's team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights. He has twice testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of protecting free speech and religious liberty in federal law. Sharp also authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of nearly 9,000 students, parents, and community members asking the court to uphold students’ right to privacy against government intrusion. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts.


Print