federal judge has blocked a directive from President Joe Biden’s administration that allowed transgender workers and students to use school restrooms matching their gender identities.
It also allowed transgender athletes to join sports teams corresponding with their chosen genders.
The directive was blocked by Judge Charles Atchley Jr. of the Eastern District of Tennessee, a Trump appointee, after a coalition of 20 Republican attorneys general sued last year, Reuters reported.
The plaintiffs argued the federal directive clashed with state laws and prevented states from enforcing their own laws that banned transgender school bathroom use.
BIDEN ADMIN HOLDING SCHOOL LUNCH MONEY 'HOSTAGE' TO FORCE TRANSGENDER POLICIES, ACTIVIST PARENT SAYS
Judge Atchley agreed, saying in his opinion the states "cannot continue regulating pursuant to their state laws while simultaneously complying with Defendants' guidance," Reuters reported.
The states also argued the Biden administration's Justice Department, the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — the defendants in the case — improperly justified the bathroom directive through the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.
In the case, Clayton County fired county employee Gerald Bostock for "unbecoming" behavior after he participated in a gay recreational softball league. The Supreme Court ruled in 2020, that workplace sex discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 should extend to sexual orientation and gender identity.