Joe Biden’s proposed changes to Title IX suffered another major defeat Thursday after a federal court issued an injunction blocking the rules from taking effect nationwide.
The decision marks a significant setback for the administration’s efforts to redefine sex discrimination to include gender identity.
The case, State of Tennessee v. Miguel Cardona, was spearheaded by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and joined by attorneys general from Montana, Louisiana, Idaho, and Mississippi.
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AG Skrmetti celebrated the ruling as a “resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns.”
Another massive win for TN and the country!
This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin’s radical new Title IX rule nationwide.
The court’s order is resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the… pic.twitter.com/XsnzSEQvAU
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) January 9, 2025
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen echoed Skrmetti’s sentiments, stating, “This is a big win for women’s rights. This decision will keep young women and girls protected from dangerous situations, just as Title IX has done for decades.”
The case was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves delivered a scathing opinion against the Biden administration’s policy.
Reeves, a George W. Bush appointee, criticized the administration’s attempt to expand the definition of sex discrimination under Title IX.
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“It is abundantly clear that discrimination on the basis of sex means discrimination on the basis of being a male or female,” Reeves wrote.
“Expanding the meaning of ‘on the basis of sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ turns Title IX on its head.”
The court ruling specifically targeted the administration’s mandate requiring schools to permit biological males identifying as females to access women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams, as well as its requirement for staff to use preferred pronouns.
The court found these provisions to be inconsistent with the original intent of Title IX and a violation of students’ rights to privacy.
“Despite society’s enduring recognition of biological differences between the sexes, as well as an individual’s basic right to bodily privacy, the Final Rule mandates that schools permit biological men into women’s intimate spaces, and women into men’s, within the educational environment based entirely on a person’s subjective gender identity,” the court wrote.
“This result is not only impossible to square with Title IX but with the broader guarantee of education protection for all students.”
The court’s decision aligns with a similar ruling in June by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty in Louisiana, who called the Title IX changes an “abuse of power” and blocked their implementation across six states.
Doughty emphasized that the administration’s unilateral attempt to rewrite Title IX violated the separation of powers.
Biden’s Title IX revisions were introduced in January 2021 as one of his earliest executive actions.
The rules aimed to redefine “sex discrimination” to include “gender identity,” which would have required schools to allow biological males identifying as females to participate in women’s sports, use women’s facilities, and compel staff to use preferred pronouns.
The policy faced a series of legal challenges from states and advocacy groups, resulting in delays that prevented its implementation.
The nationwide injunction is seen as a significant obstacle to Biden’s efforts to advance this agenda.
Biden’s Attack On Women’s Sports and Basic Biology Struck Down by Federal Court…
Joe Biden’s proposed changes to Title IX suffered another major defeat Thursday after a federal court issued an injunction blocking the rules from taking effect nationwide.
The decision marks a… pic.twitter.com/O5QmkBv1r8
— RVM News (@redvoicenews) January 10, 2025
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The timing of the court’s ruling coincides with the incoming Trump administration, which is expected to reverse Biden’s changes and restore Title IX to its original interpretation.
With the injunction in place, Biden’s policy will remain blocked, effectively allowing the next administration to rescind the proposed rules without additional legal hurdles.
The ruling reinforces longstanding debates over the limits of executive authority and the balance between individual rights and privacy in education.
As legal challenges continue, the decision ensures that Title IX will remain a central battleground in the broader cultural and political landscape.
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