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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ChurchMilitant.com) - A North Carolina school district is halting the implementation of a transgender bathroom policy in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling.

The announcement Thursday from the superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools (CMS) declared that proposed rules allowing transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the opposite gender have been indefinitely shelved following Wednesday's decision from the U.S. Supreme Court permitting a Virginia school district to block a transgender student from gaining access to the opposite gender's facilities.

The ruling in question, a 5–3 split, granted the Gloucester County school board a reprieve from implementing a decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals until the Supreme Court publicly announces whether it has chosen to hear the school board's appeal. In turn, CMS announced it would also halt the execution of a transgender bathroom policy in its schools, as the ruling from the lower court had been used as the foundation of their transgender regulation.

"CMS remains committed to nurturing a safe and welcoming learning environment for every student," asserted Ann Clark, CMS superintendent, in a statement issued Thursday. "As a result of yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling, we have placed a temporary hold on the section of the CMS bullying prevention regulation which states that transgender students will be given access to the restroom and locker room facilities corresponding to their gender identity."

"The rest of the regulation," she added, "which is intended to promote consistency in anti-bullying support for all students, will remain intact."

In addition to unfettered bathroom and locker room access, the policy included clauses regarding the use of pronouns and names for trans students and guidelines concerning gender-based activities.

The CMS policy had faced much criticism from several groups since its introduction, including the North Carolina Values Coalition, which, prior to Thursday's announcement, had formulated a petition distributed to CMS parents.

"[T]his policy ignores both federal and state law, and jeopardizes the privacy, safety, and dignity of my child(ren)," the petition read. "My child(ren) feel both anxious and disrespected faced with the reality that this new policy will force them to share intimate facilities with members of the opposite sex, threatening their well-being and peace of mind on a day-to-day basis."

CMS fired back, arguing that it did not accurately represent the new regulations. "[The policy] is about courage, understanding and compassion," Clark maintained.

"When developing a plan for transgender students, CMS always prefers to involve parents unless there is a concern that doing so may compromise the student's physical safety and well-being," read a memo from the CMS chief communications officer.

The topic of transgender bathroom "rights" has been a hot one for months, following a North Carolina law passed earlier this year forbidding transgender individuals from using the public bathroom of their choosing. The legislation, referred to as HB2, sparked a lawsuit from the Obama administration, which was quickly answered by a counter-suit from Republican governor Pat McCrory. In May, the Departments of Justice and Education issued a mandate ordering public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their assumed gender; the order did not specify penalties for ignoring the mandate, but alluded to a potential loss of federal funding for noncompliance.

The federal order resulted in a total so far of 23 states filing lawsuits against the Obama administration for what has been described as a "blatant and baseless [federal] overreach." The implied loss of federal funding to school districts that refuse to comply has also been labeled "blackmail" and "running roughshod over commonsense policies" that protect students.

A filing Wednesday from attorneys representing the Obama administration is claiming the mandate is not "legally binding" and was intended to be viewed merely as "guidance."

"These guidance documents — which are the focal point of plaintiffs' claims — are merely expressions of agencies' views as to what the law requires," the attorneys asserted. "They are not legally binding, and they expose plaintiffs to no new liability or legal requirements."

Citizens have also taken the matter into their hands, with more than 100 Ohio pastors urging school districts and state politicians to ignore the order from the Obama administration.

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