In a significant legal victory for a coalition of states challenging the Biden Administration’s Title IX policies, a federal court has ruled that the U.S. Department of Education exceeded its authority with a sweeping reinterpretation of the landmark 1972 Education Amendments. The court granted summary judgment to the plaintiff states, permanently blocking the implementation of the controversial regulations.
The decision comes after months of legal battles surrounding the administration’s proposed Final Rule entitled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.” The court found that the rules violated both statutory limits under Title IX and constitutional principles, further condemning them as arbitrary and capricious agency action.
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The court’s opinion, issued on January 9, 2025, builds on its prior rulings that had temporarily stayed the rules from going into effect in August 2024. In its decision, the court determined that:
- The Department of Education overstepped its authority by attempting to rewrite Title IX without congressional approval.
- The regulations violated constitutional protections, including state sovereignty and due process rights.
- The agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously, failing to provide adequate justification for its sweeping changes.
“The Department’s actions reflect an attempt to bypass the legislative process and fundamentally transform Title IX,” the court wrote in its ruling.
Title IX, enacted in 1972, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. The Biden Administration’s Final Rule sought to expand these protections to include gender identity, requiring schools to allow access to facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity rather than biological sex. The regulations also mandated the use of preferred pronouns for students.
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These changes prompted immediate backlash from multiple states, who argued that the rules infringed on their rights and imposed burdensome mandates on schools. In June 2024, the court issued a preliminary injunction preventing the rules from taking effect in the plaintiff states. This new ruling extends that relief nationwide by vacating the regulations entirely.
This decision effectively halts the Biden Administration’s attempts to implement its controversial Title IX policies and sets a significant precedent for future executive rulemaking. The ruling also protects schools and states from being required to comply with the contested regulations, which had faced widespread criticism for undermining privacy rights and creating operational challenges.
“The court’s ruling is yet another repudiation of the Biden administration’s relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology through unconstitutional and illegal rulemaking. Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX regulations when he returns to office next week,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.
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President-elect Trump has indicated plans to roll back what he has described as “radical gender ideology” in education. Legal experts predict that the Biden Administration may appeal the decision, but for now, the court’s ruling represents a significant victory for the coalition of states and other challengers.
The Department of Education has not yet commented on the ruling.
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