Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made it clear that the state will not comply with the updated Title IX regulations introduced by the Biden administration.
The Biden administration published a final regulation on Friday that adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Title IX protections.
Any public school or institution that gets federal financing is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sex under Title IX.
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On X, DeSantis tweeted, “Florida’s response to Joe Biden trying to inject gender ideology into education, undermining opportunities for girls and women, violating parents’ rights, and abusing his constitutional authority: We will not comply.”
Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz sent a letter to school district superintendents and charter school leaders, instructing them to refrain from implementing any changes outlined in the updated Title IX regulations.
Diaz emphasized Florida’s commitment to respecting parents’ rights in directing their children’s education and ensuring student safety and privacy.
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The Florida Board of Education had previously approved a rule last August, specifically targeting restrooms and changing areas in colleges and universities.
The state rule prohibits individuals from willfully entering facilities designated for the opposite sex.
Absence of trans sports
The Title IX rewrite does not address transgender athletes, despite previous efforts by the Biden administration to include a provision barring schools from prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s and girl’s sports.
The administration is currently working on a separate rule that would prohibit schools from adopting a “one-size-fits-all policy” that allegedly discriminates against transgender athletes.
Many saw the postponement as a political ploy in an election year where Republicans have united behind the prohibition of transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports, the AP reported.
Florida is among the 24 states that have enacted bans on biological males participating in women’s and girls’ sports.
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