BATON ROUGE, La. (CN) - The justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple resigned Tuesday. Keith Bardwell didn't explain why he was stepping down effective immediately, and only gave a one-sentence statement to Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.
Bardwell refused to perform a wedding ceremony earlier this month for Beth Humphrey, who is white, and Terence McKay, who is black.
Bardwell acknowledged that he recuses himself from from marrying interracial couples because he thinks such unions harm the couples' children, The Associated Press reported.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.