US Education Department Reverses Title IX Protections for Gender Identity

The U.S. Department of Education has announced it will revert to enforcing Title IX protections based on biological sex, scrapping the Biden administration's rule that extended protections to gender identity. This decision follows legal challenges from Republican-led states, particularly after a federal court in Kentucky deemed the Biden administration's changes unconstitutional. The Education Department's 'Dear Colleague' letter clarified that it would enforce the 2020 Title IX Rule established under the Trump administration, which emphasizes traditional definitions of sex and includes stricter due process protections in cases of sexual misconduct. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor stated that this shift aims to ensure the safety and separate facilities for women and girls in educational institutions. Critics of the Biden administration’s approach have framed this reversal as a victory for women's rights. The decision aligns with Trump-era policies that reject the inclusion of gender identity in Title IX protections.