Minnesota college system bars team travel to North Carolina

HB2 protesters in North Carolina
Opponents of House Bill 2 protest across the street from the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh, N.C., April 11 during a rally in support of the law that blocks rules allowing transgender people to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identity.
Gerry Broome | AP

A Minnesota state university system is prohibiting athletics teams from traveling to tournaments in North Carolina this spring after that state passed a law limiting LGBT protections.

MnSCU's offices in St. Paul
The offices of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system in St. Paul.
Tim Post | MPR News

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system communications director Doug Anderson said no teams will participate in tournaments in North Carolina this spring. The NCAA Division II national baseball tournament and National Junior College Athletic Association Division III World Series are set to take place in North Carolina.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton directed state employees last month to stop nonessential travel to North Carolina because of its new law limiting protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Anderson said system presidents met this week, concluding "that athletics-related travel is nonessential for the purposes of this directive."

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