A judge for the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina on Wednesday rejected state officials’ and universities’ arguments to dismiss a transgender discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees (NCSHP) discriminates against transgender employees because it excludes coverage for gender dysphoria.
First, Judge Loretta Biggs rejected the defendants’ claim that plaintiffs lack Article III standing to sue. Biggs explained, “Article III traceability is not so rigid,” and that “traceability merely requires a causal connection between the defendant’s conduct and the plaintiff’s injury.”
