Indiana’s attorney general has pulled out of a Republican-led lawsuit that aimed to strike down part of a federal law providing discrimination protections for people with disabilities.
Indiana had joined the federal lawsuit filed by Texas in 2024 over the Biden administration’s addition of a gender identity-related disorder to the disabilities protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The Indiana attorney general’s office filed a notice Friday withdrawing from the suit that initially included 17 Republican states.
Attorney General Todd Rokita pointed to President Donald Trump’s steps to remove gender dysphoria from the list of disabilities.
“Our goal in this lawsuit was to remove President Biden’s ridiculous addition of gender dysphoria as a disability, which risked jeopardizing services for those who truly need them most,” Rokita said in a statement Monday. “While we remain concerned about federal overreach into traditional state matters, President Trump’s decisive action has resolved the gender dysphoria issue. With that core victory secured, we have dismissed our claims.”
The lawsuit remains active in a Texas federal court although several other states, including Alabama, West Virginia, Iowa and Nebraska, have also withdrawn.
Advocates for those with disabilities spoke out against the lawsuit, saying it threatened broad discrimination protections that schools, hospitals and workplaces have been required to provide.
Advocacy group The Arc of Indiana said it appreciated Rokita’s decision to withdraw from the lawsuit.
“After our conversations, we strongly believe the approach his office took in evaluating this lawsuit reflects a thoughtful and deliberate process — one that best protects the rights of all involved while faithfully upholding the core principles of Section 504,” said Tom Crishon, the group’s chief legal officer.
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