RALEIGH, N.C.—North Carolina’s state government personnel office has removed from its website a personnel handbook that banned anti-gay discrimination.

The prohibition was in one of two copies of the handbook posted online. The removal came after North Carolina Republican House Minority Leader Paul Stam questioned why the ban appeared in the handbook.

North Carolina law does not prevent bias in state employee hiring and discipline based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The North Carolina Personnel Commission tried to add the prohibition but a state regulatory panel rejected the change in January. The panel said state lawmakers needed to approve the ban before the policy is changed.