California lawmaker drops lawsuits in religious school bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California lawmaker is removing a contentious provision of his bill that would have allowed LGBT students to more easily sue religious schools for discrimination.

A weaker version of the bill by Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara will still mandate that institutions disclose exemptions from federal Title IX rules against discrimination. The measure would also require universities to report if a student has been expelled for violating a school's "moral code of conduct," which is often tied to religious norms.

Many religious schools had heavily opposed the bill, calling it an attack on free exercise of religion. Most had not opposed the mandatory disclosure of religious exemptions.

The bill will be heard Thursday in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Lara says he wants to protect students who are, in his words, "loving openly."

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