A federal district court has halted the Biden administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX and redefine “sex” in federal law to include “gender identity.” That change would permit men to access women’s locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports.
As the Daily Citizen has previously reported, Title IX was enacted as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972. It protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities receiving federal funds.
Title IX has been wholly successful, providing millions of women with opportunities to compete and earn scholarships they otherwise would not have received. Before Title IX, only 1 in 27 girls played sports. Now, that number is 2 in 5.
On April 19, the U.S. Department of Education released its “Final Rule under Title IX” effectively erasing “woman” as a protective category by allowing any male to claim it as an “identity.”
As a result, various lawsuits (at least seven) have been filed against the DOE’s rule.
Louisiana, Montana, Mississippi and Idaho, along with various school districts, brought one such lawsuit challenging the Final Rule. The nonprofit legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) spearheaded the lawsuit.
On June 13, Judge Terry Doughty, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, issued a 40-page ruling granting a preliminary injunction halting the DOE’s Final Rule while the lawsuit plays out in our nation’s federal courts.
The ruling grants the first preliminary injunction in the country halting the administration’s changes to Title IX.
“Enacting the changes in the Final Rule would subvert the original purpose of Title IX: protecting biological females from discrimination,” the judge wrote in his opinion.
“Defendants … attempt to circumvent Congress and make major changes to the text, structure, and purpose of Title IX. Such changes are undoubtedly contrary to Title IX and contrary to the Law.”
Judge Doughty also blasted the administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX unilaterally through the DOE – rather than through Congress. “The abuse of power by administrative agencies is a threat to democracy,” the court wrote.
Following the ruling, ADF Senior Counsel Natalie Thompson said in a statement that “the court was right to halt the administration’s illegal efforts to rewrite Title IX while this critical lawsuit continues,” adding,
The Biden administration’s radical redefinition of sex turns back the clock on equal opportunity for women, undermines fairness, and threatens student safety and privacy. …
The administration continues to ignore biological reality, science, and common sense. The Rapides Parish School Board and schools and teachers across the country are right to stand against the administration’s adoption of extreme gender ideology, which would have devastating consequences for students, teachers, administrators, and families.
In a post on X, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos also celebrated the ruling: “VICTORY! We will #TakeBackTitleIX because Biden’s anti-woman radical rewrite of Title IX is not just crazy but it’s also illegal.”
We can all be grateful for the temporary relief from the DOE’s rewrite of Title IX, which would have far-reaching and dire societal consequences impacting the lives of practically every student in America.
It is highly likely an appeal of Judge Doughty’s decision will be sought by the U.S. federal government – likely to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and potentially to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Please pray that the preliminary injunction will be upheld upon appeal.
The case is Rapides Parish School Board v. United States Department of Education.
Related articles and resources:
Huge Title IX Win: Department of Education’s 2021 Interpretation Ruled ‘Unlawful’
Gov. Sanders’ Powerful Speech Defending Girls’ Sports: ‘We Will Not Comply’
Title IX Redefinition of ‘Sex’ Faces Defiance and a Flood of Lawsuits
Florida and Oklahoma Reject Biden Admin’s Rule Letting Men into Women’s Bathrooms and Sports
New Biden Admin. Rule Lets Men into Women’s Locker Rooms, Bathrooms and Sports
Photo from Alliance Defending Freedom.
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