News Release
For Immediate Release — August 22, 2016
Contact: Diane Gramley 1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355
Federal Judge Moves to Temporarily Halt Administration’s Transgender Rules
(Harrisburg) — Late Sunday night US District Judge Reed O’Connor handed down his decision on the US Departments of Education and Justice directive meant to force public schools to open the girls’ bathroom, shower and locker facilities to boys and vice versa. The judge ruled that the language of Title IX, “is not ambiguous . . . Title IX meant the biological and anatomical differences between male and female students as determined at their birth.” The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA) praises Judge O’Connor’s decision to temporarily halt the implementation of the May 13th directive from the Obama Administration. As the AFA of PA has maintained since the DOE/DOJ “Dear Colleague” letter was first sent on May 13th, Pennsylvania schools should maintain the status quo and not open their bathrooms, locker and shower rooms to the opposite sex.
“Here just days before school starts students can breathe a sigh of relief that Judge O’Connor has issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting the federal government from forcing all schools in the nation to open their bathrooms, showers and locker rooms designated for one sex to the opposite sex. This is a great win to protect the privacy of all students — even those who identify as transgender,” noted Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA.
This administration sidestepped Congress and redefined the word “sex” in Title IX, expanding it to include transgenders. Law does not permit any administration to redefine law. It would undermine the entire legislative process as outlined in the US Constitution.
This administration has sought to advance its transgender agenda at a quickened pace with the end of Obama’s second term quickly approaching. In so doing, the administration has placed its agenda ahead of the safety of school children and even placed our military at risk with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s announcement last month that sexually confused transgenders would be able to serve openly in the military.
“Order can be maintained in our nation’s schools with this temporary injunction issued by Judge O’Connor. Schools will not be placed in the position of having to decide between the safety and privacy of their students and an edict demanding they ignore both. Students who are confused about their sexuality and identify as transgender should be accommodated, but use of the opposite sex facilities should never be part of the discussion,” Gramley concluded.
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