Tennessee is one of 11 states that filed federal suit Wednesday against the Obama administration over recent guidance issued regarding which bathrooms transgender students may use.

The states filing suit argue the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education are usurping local control and trying to create a national social experiment by telling districts to allow transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender with which they identify.

“Defendants have conspired to turn workplaces and educational settings across the country into laboratories for a massive social experiment, flouting the democratic process, and running roughshod over commonsense policies protecting children and basic privacy rights,” states the lawsuit, obtained through a link provided by the West Virginia Attorney General.

Other states joining the lawsuit include Texas, Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Arizona, Maine, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah and Georgia. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is listed as the official suing on behalf of Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Texas.

Tennessee lawmakers had called on some sort of action from Gov. Bill Haslam or Slatery after the guidance delivered by the administration.

House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, R-Franklin, said lawmakers are holding off on talks of a special session regarding the issue after Slatery and Haslam have given indications that they oppose the federal directive.

That opposition was clarified after Slatery indicated on Monday he would provide assistance to Sumner County Public Schools which was recently named in a complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee over the issue of transgender bathrooms.

“We stand with Sumner County and will help them in any way we can after the recent overreach by the Obama administration,” Leslie Hafner, a senior adviser to the governor, told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Slatery and the others suing have a list of demands. They want the court to declare the new federal guidance unlawful, “arbitrary and capricious,” invalid and a permanent injunction stopping the federal government from enforcing the rules.

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