Title IX Rule Blocking Biden’s Plan in Six More States

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s new Title IX rule that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ students in six additional states. This ruling is a setback for a policy that has been facing legal challenges from Republican attorneys general.

U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves described the regulation as “arbitrary in the truest sense of the word” when granting a preliminary injunction in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. This decision follows another federal judge’s temporary block of the rule in Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Montana.

The ruling in Kentucky was praised by the state’s GOP attorney general, Russell Coleman, who argued that the rule would harm equal opportunities for women.

Coleman stated, “The judge’s order clearly indicates that the U.S. Department of Education’s attempt to redefine ‘sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ is unlawful and exceeds the agency’s regulatory authority.”

These two cases are part of multiple lawsuits supported by over 20 Republican-led states opposing President Joe Biden’s rule. Scheduled to go into effect in August, the policy expands Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students, revises the definition of sexual harassment at educational institutions, and provides additional safeguards for victims.

In a separate lawsuit, the Education Department has requested a federal judge in Missouri to reject a preliminary injunction against the new rule. This lawsuit was filed by Republican attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The department argues that halting the rule “would significantly impact the federal government’s efforts to prevent discrimination in federally funded educational programs and activities.”