Federal judge dismisses a challenge to Tennessee’s school bathroom law

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender students and staff from using school bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identities. The lawsuit was filed nearly two years ago by a transgender student, identified only as D.H., whose school initially agreed to support their social transition but stopped after the Republican-dominant Statehouse and Gov. Bill Lee signed off on several policies targeting accommodations for transgender people. In 2023, U.S. District Judge William Campbell agreed the case could continue under the Equal Protection Clause claim. However, earlier this month, Campbell reversed course and dismissed the suit entirely, arguing that key rulings in separate transgender lawsuits influenced his decision.