A Mount Pleasant father is suing Cabarrus County Schools in federal court, alleging the district refused to tell him whether his children would share restrooms or locker rooms with students of the opposite biological sex.

Brandon Matthews filed the lawsuit Friday, Aug. 7, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, according to an America First Legal press release. The suit names the Cabarrus County Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki and the principals of Mount Pleasant Elementary School and Mount Pleasant High School as defendants.

It is the second federal lawsuit filed against the district in just over a week.

The first, filed Friday, July 31, was brought by three female students at Cox Mill High School who allege the district violated Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause by allowing transgender girls to use girls' restrooms and locker rooms. The two cases present different legal theories. The Cox Mill suit challenges the policy on behalf of students. Matthews' case argues the district violated his parental rights under the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause by withholding information about who may access his children's facilities.

According to Fox News, court filings show both principals responded to Matthews' inquiries on Monday, June 8, but did not provide the policy information he sought.

The lawsuits land as more than 35,000 students return to class Wednesday, Aug. 12, for the start of the 2026-27 school year. Cabarrus County Schools has not publicly responded to either suit.

Khalif J. Rhodes, Queen City News' chief legal analyst, said Aug. 4 that the district is expected to cite the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling in Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, which found that barring transgender students from bathrooms matching their gender identity violates Title IX. Plaintiffs in both cases, Rhodes said, are expected to argue that more recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions undermine that precedent.

"We recognize the precedent is out there but the court was wrong," Rhodes said, describing the plaintiffs' likely argument. "The Supreme Court has spoken in some other case and yes the 4th Circuit has ruled in Grimm but we think the Supreme Court cases later could contradict what the Grimm court said."

A Cabarrus County Schools bond referendum is also on the Nov. 3 ballot. Critics have linked the bathroom policy controversy to the bond vote, arguing the board should address the issue before asking taxpayers for funding. No court hearing dates for either lawsuit have been announced.