RALEIGH – The U.S. Department of Justice today notified North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory that HB 2, the sweeping anti-LGBT law that prevents transgender students, employees, and visitors from using restrooms that correspond to their gender identity, has placed the state in violation of Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act, Title IX, and the Violence Against Women Act.
In response, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, and Lambda Legal – which are challenging HB 2 in federal court on behalf of six LGBT North Carolinians – released the following statement:
“It is now clearer than ever that this discriminatory law violates civil rights protections and jeopardizes billions of dollars in federal funds for North Carolina. Governor McCrory and the legislators who forced through HB 2 in a single day were warned about these dire consequences, but they ignored the law and the North Carolinians it would harm and passed the bill anyway. The only way to reverse the ongoing damage HB 2 is causing to North Carolina’s people, economy, and reputation is a full repeal.”
Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of sex, which includes discrimination against transgender individuals based on sex and gender identity. Title IX prohibits similar discrimination against transgender students and school staff. On April 20, 2016, Plaintiff Joaquín Carcaño filed a charge alleging violations of Title VII with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
