Bathroom lawsuit could send transgender rights to Supreme Court(Reuters) - A lawsuit brought by Texas and other states against the Obama administration’s policy on bathroom access may move the United States closer to a resolution on transgender rights by putting the issue on a trajectory for the Supreme Court. Conservative officials from 11 states sued the federal government on Wednesday to overturn a directive that transgender students be allowed to use the bathroom matching their gender identity instead of being forced to use one corresponding to gender assigned at birth. The governor of a 12th state, Mississippi, said he planned to join the lawsuit. The country’s high court has never ruled on a main question of the lawsuit: Do federal legal protections against sex discrimination apply to transgender people? The plaintiffs picked a path that could get them two quick wins in lower courts. The lawsuit is expected to be heard first by an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush and if there is an appeal by a conservative federal appeals court covering Texas. If that appeals court ruled against the Obama administration, the Supreme Court may feel compelled to take up the matter because of a likely conflict with a ruling last month from a federal appeals court in Virginia. That ruling revived a transgender teen’s lawsuit against his school district.  The Supreme Court is more likely to agree to hear a case when there is a split among different federal appeals courts, and such a conflict does not yet exist on transgender rights.  The plaintiffs have accused the administration of President Barack Obama of overreaching its authority and said the U.S. Congress, or individual states, should set policy.  At least two provisions of federal law ban discrimination on the basis of sex: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which covers employment, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  When lawmakers passed the education amendments, they did not consider that the law could one day be applied to gender identity, said Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group. “The (administration’s) lawless interpretation ignores the will of Congress in enacting Title IX,” Tedesco said. “It’s a clear case of federal overreach.” The Obama administration has argued that the education amendments encompass discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status. It said in a letter to school districts this month that their access to federal money depended on their compliance. The states that sued have two paths to victory, Tedesco said: a ruling that the Obama administration did not follow proper procedure for making new regulations, which would leave the larger issue unsettled, or that its interpretation of Title IX is inconsistent with the law. Without clear guidance from the courts, the question of transgender rights would remain open to interpretation by federal agencies, meaning a future president could take the opposite view of Obama. The Republican-controlled Congress has the power to end the dispute immediately, either in favor of transgender rights or against them, but it has shown few signs of acting, especially with a Democrat, Obama, in the White House. A series of decisions suggests courts are coming around to a more expansive definition of sex discrimination, said Jennifer Levi, director of the Transgender Rights Project at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. Federal agencies clearly have the authority to interpret civil rights law when its application is unclear, she said. “To characterize (the administration’s position) as extraordinary or overreaching shows a complete misunderstanding of what these agencies do,” Levi said. The states countered in their lawsuit that the federal agencies went beyond mere interpretation of civil rights law and in effect created new regulations that should have gone through a notice-and-comment procedure. A court could also find that the states’ lawsuit was premature because the Obama administration has not yet moved to cut off funding to any state or school district, said Arthur Leonard, a professor at New York Law School and an expert on LGBT law. politicsNews
bathroom lawsuit could send transgender rights supreme court reuters a lawsuit brought texas states obama administration policy bathroom access may move united states closer resolution transgender rights putting issue trajectory supreme court conservative officials states sued federal government wednesday overturn directive transgender students allowed use bathroom matching gender identity instead forced use one corresponding gender assigned birth the governor state mississippi said planned join lawsuit the country high court never ruled main question lawsuit do federal legal protections sex discrimination apply transgender people the plaintiffs picked path could get two quick wins lower courts the lawsuit expected heard first appointee republican president george bush appeal conservative federal appeals court covering texas if appeals court ruled obama administration supreme court may feel compelled take matter likely conflict ruling last month federal appeals court virginia that ruling revived transgender teen lawsuit school district the supreme court likely agree hear case split among different federal appeals courts conflict yet exist transgender rights the plaintiffs accused administration president barack obama overarching authority said congress individual states set policy at least two provisions federal law ban discrimination basis sex title vii civil rights act covers employment title ix education amendments when lawmakers passed education amendments consider law could one day applied gender identity said jeremy tedesco senior counsel alliance defending freedom conservative christian legal group the administration lawless interpretation ignores congress enacting title ix tedesco said it clear case federal the obama administration argued education amendments encompass discrimination based gender identity including transgender status it said letter school districts month access federal money depended compliance the states sued two paths victory tedesco said ruling obama administration follow proper procedure making new regulations would leave larger issue unsettled interpretation title ix inconsistent law without clear guidance courts question transgender rights would remain open interpretation federal agencies meaning future president could take opposite view obama the congress power end dispute immediately either favor transgender rights shown signs acting especially democrat obama white house a series decisions suggests courts coming around expansive definition sex discrimination said jennifer levi director transgender rights project lgbtq legal advocates defenders federal agencies clearly authority interpret civil rights law application unclear said to characterize administration position extraordinary overarching shows complete misunderstanding agencies levi said the states countered lawsuit federal agencies went beyond mere interpretation civil rights law effect created new regulations gone procedure a court could also find states lawsuit premature obama administration yet moved cut funding state school district said arthur leonard professor new york law school expert lgbt law politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Bathroom lawsuit could send transgender rights to Supreme Court(Reuters) - A lawsuit brought by Texas and other states against the Obama administration’s policy on bathroom access may move the United States closer to a resolution on transgender rights by putting the issue on a trajectory for the Supreme Court. Conservative officials from 11 states sued the federal government on Wednesday to overturn a directive that transgender students be allowed to use the bathroom matching their gender identity instead of being forced to use one corresponding to gender assigned at birth. The governor of a 12th state, Mississippi, said he planned to join the lawsuit. The country’s high court has never ruled on a main question of the lawsuit: Do federal legal protections against sex discrimination apply to transgender people? The plaintiffs picked a path that could get them two quick wins in lower courts. The lawsuit is expected to be heard first by an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush and if there is an appeal by a conservative federal appeals court covering Texas. If that appeals court ruled against the Obama administration, the Supreme Court may feel compelled to take up the matter because of a likely conflict with a ruling last month from a federal appeals court in Virginia. That ruling revived a transgender teen’s lawsuit against his school district.  The Supreme Court is more likely to agree to hear a case when there is a split among different federal appeals courts, and such a conflict does not yet exist on transgender rights.  The plaintiffs have accused the administration of President Barack Obama of overreaching its authority and said the U.S. Congress, or individual states, should set policy.  At least two provisions of federal law ban discrimination on the basis of sex: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which covers employment, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  When lawmakers passed the education amendments, they did not consider that the law could one day be applied to gender identity, said Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group. “The (administration’s) lawless interpretation ignores the will of Congress in enacting Title IX,” Tedesco said. “It’s a clear case of federal overreach.” The Obama administration has argued that the education amendments encompass discrimination based on gender identity, including transgender status. It said in a letter to school districts this month that their access to federal money depended on their compliance. The states that sued have two paths to victory, Tedesco said: a ruling that the Obama administration did not follow proper procedure for making new regulations, which would leave the larger issue unsettled, or that its interpretation of Title IX is inconsistent with the law. Without clear guidance from the courts, the question of transgender rights would remain open to interpretation by federal agencies, meaning a future president could take the opposite view of Obama. The Republican-controlled Congress has the power to end the dispute immediately, either in favor of transgender rights or against them, but it has shown few signs of acting, especially with a Democrat, Obama, in the White House. A series of decisions suggests courts are coming around to a more expansive definition of sex discrimination, said Jennifer Levi, director of the Transgender Rights Project at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. Federal agencies clearly have the authority to interpret civil rights law when its application is unclear, she said. “To characterize (the administration’s position) as extraordinary or overreaching shows a complete misunderstanding of what these agencies do,” Levi said. The states countered in their lawsuit that the federal agencies went beyond mere interpretation of civil rights law and in effect created new regulations that should have gone through a notice-and-comment procedure. A court could also find that the states’ lawsuit was premature because the Obama administration has not yet moved to cut off funding to any state or school district, said Arthur Leonard, a professor at New York Law School and an expert on LGBT law. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: bathroom lawsuit could send transgender rights supreme court reuters a lawsuit brought texas states obama administration policy bathroom access may move united states closer resolution transgender rights putting issue trajectory supreme court conservative officials states sued federal government wednesday overturn directive transgender students allowed use bathroom matching gender identity instead forced use one corresponding gender assigned birth the governor state mississippi said planned join lawsuit the country high court never ruled main question lawsuit do federal legal protections sex discrimination apply transgender people the plaintiffs picked path could get two quick wins lower courts the lawsuit expected heard first appointee republican president george bush appeal conservative federal appeals court covering texas if appeals court ruled obama administration supreme court may feel compelled take matter likely conflict ruling last month federal appeals court virginia that ruling revived transgender teen lawsuit school district the supreme court likely agree hear case split among different federal appeals courts conflict yet exist transgender rights the plaintiffs accused administration president barack obama overarching authority said congress individual states set policy at least two provisions federal law ban discrimination basis sex title vii civil rights act covers employment title ix education amendments when lawmakers passed education amendments consider law could one day applied gender identity said jeremy tedesco senior counsel alliance defending freedom conservative christian legal group the administration lawless interpretation ignores congress enacting title ix tedesco said it clear case federal the obama administration argued education amendments encompass discrimination based gender identity including transgender status it said letter school districts month access federal money depended compliance the states sued two paths victory tedesco said ruling obama administration follow proper procedure making new regulations would leave larger issue unsettled interpretation title ix inconsistent law without clear guidance courts question transgender rights would remain open interpretation federal agencies meaning future president could take opposite view obama the congress power end dispute immediately either favor transgender rights shown signs acting especially democrat obama white house a series decisions suggests courts coming around expansive definition sex discrimination said jennifer levi director transgender rights project lgbtq legal advocates defenders federal agencies clearly authority interpret civil rights law application unclear said to characterize administration position extraordinary overarching shows complete misunderstanding agencies levi said the states countered lawsuit federal agencies went beyond mere interpretation civil rights law effect created new regulations gone procedure a court could also find states lawsuit premature obama administration yet moved cut funding state school district said arthur leonard professor new york law school expert lgbt law politicsnews