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University of North Carolina Won’t Enforce Transgender Bathroom Law

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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The system president said she had “no intent” of forcing transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity. 

The rift over HB2 between the University of North Carolina and the state government grew wider Friday when UNC president Margaret Spellings said in federal court she would not enforce the law.

In a May 27 affidavit, Spelling said she had "no intent" of following the law and requested the federal government to postpone the Justice Department's civil rights lawsuit against the school, North Carolina, and Gov. Pat McCrory.

The same day, the university announced an independent law firm would represent the school in the case--not the attorney general.

In a statement to Out, a UNC spokeswoman said the attorney general advised McCrory that it was "impractical" for the office to represent the school. So McCrory greenlighted new counsel.

"The university remains committed to providing an environment that is open and welcoming to people of all backgrounds," the spokeswoman said.

The Justice and Education departments have stated that public schools that do not comply with civil rights law regarding transgender students could lose federal dollars.

The University of North Carolina received more than $570 million in research funding from the federal government in 2015--72 percent of the system's total research budget.

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