A federal judge in Kentucky blocked a new Biden administration Title IX rule Monday in six states that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation — not solely sex. The opinion applies to Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia.
Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky began his 93-page opinion by writing, “There are two sexes: male and female." He concluded by blocking the enforcement of the new rule that would have been implemented in August.
The new rule would have extended the 1972 civil rights provision to explicitly include LGBTQ+ students under the umbrella. It also expands the definition of sexual harassment at schools and colleges and adds additional safeguards for victims.
Reeves wrote that the rule exceeds the Department of Education’s authority by expanding the definition of “sex.” Reeves also said that the new rule doesn’t address concerns over “student and faculty safety” because it allows boys and men to enter sex-segregated bathrooms and changing rooms “without restriction.”
Read the rest at Louisville Public Media.
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