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By Christopher Collins of the Times Record News

A conservative states' rights group in St. Louis has joined Texas and other states in their battle against the U.S. government in connection with a lawsuit over bathroom rights for transgender students.

Houston attorney Karen B. Tripp filed a memorandum of support in federal court this week on behalf of Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund Inc. The group, which according to the court filing "has consistently defended federalism and supported autonomy in areas (such as education) of predominately local concern," wants the judge in the case to grant the states' motion for an injunction against federal directives.

In May, the U.S. Justice and Education departments instructed states that they would have to allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity, biological sex notwithstanding. Noncompliance with the instruction could mean the loss of federal funding, the agencies said.

Later that month, Texas and a handful of other conservative states filed suit against the federal government, claiming the directive would cause "seismic changes in the operation of the nation's school districts." More states and state leaders have since waded into the legal battle as plaintiffs. A separate but similar showdown has now begun in an Ohio federal court.

One of the leading plaintiffs in the action is the Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County, one of the first districts in the nation to pass a policy in opposition to the federal directive. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Wichita Falls.

In its memorandum, the Eagle Forum made assertions similar to those previously made by plaintiffs: that the federal government did not give states adequate notice before issuing its directives and that the Constitution does not provide transgender people the right to use bathrooms of the opposite biological sex.

Offering precedent, the filing also asks that federal Judge Reed C. O'Connor defer to states on the issue. The judge has not ruled on the injunction, and the federal government had not issued a response to the litigation as of Friday afternoon.