Texas Attorney General Paxton Requests Injunction Against Title IX Changes

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is pushing back against the Biden administration’s recent changes to Title IX.

Paxton has lodged a complaint against the Department of Education’s new regulations, which broaden the definition of sex-based discrimination to include “gender identity.” Paxton argues that these updated rules weaken protections for women and is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the implementation of the rule while his lawsuit progresses.

Last month, Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education to block the new requirements. He has aligned with other Republican state leaders who oppose the administration’s revisions.

“Texas is urging the court to immediately halt Biden’s egregious, illegal attack on women’s rights,” stated Paxton. “Biden cannot violate the Constitution in order to undermine Title IX protections for women just to appease the extreme demands of ‘transgender’ activists.”

The new rules, specifically focusing on sexual harassment and discrimination aspects of Title IX, extend safeguards for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students while revamping the guidelines established during the Trump administration on how schools should address sexual assault cases.

The administration has sidestepped the issue of whether transgender students should be allowed to participate in school sports teams based on their gender identity.

Originally designed to safeguard women by prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any federally funded educational program, including K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, Title IX is at the center of this legal battle.

America First Legal, led by former Trump administration official Stephen Miller, is acting as co-counsel in the lawsuit.