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JACKSON, Miss. — Under fire from the governor and some Republican legislators, the Mississippi Department of Education now says it won’t follow new federal guidance on use of bathrooms and locker rooms by transgender students.

State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright made the announcement Wednesday morning in a brief statement, “Pending a discussion with the Mississippi State Board of Education, I am instructing the Mississippi Department of Education to follow the lead of state leadership and take no action at this time regarding the non-regulatory guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education.”

Mississippi education officials had said Friday they would follow the guidance by federal authorities calling for transgender students to be treated consistently with their gender identity.

They cited a need for a “safe and caring school environment.”

Gov. Phil Bryant had called for Mississippi to defy “federal coercion” and some Republican lawmakers called for Dr. Wright to reverse her position or resign.

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