More Republican states challenge new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students

[Jessica_Rose]

More Republican states challenge new Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/more-republican-states-challenge-new-title-ix-rules-protecting-lgbtq-students/ar-AA1nWoGP?ocid=windirect&cvid=a008b37c8ff54c6cb7471a40ca48f76f&ei=11

Story by COLLIN BINKLEY (30 April 2024)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Another six Republican states are piling on to challenge the Biden administration's newly expanded campus sexual assault rules, saying they overstep the president's authority and undermine the Title IX anti-discrimination law.

A federal lawsuit led by Kentucky on Tuesday asks a judge to halt and overturn the new policy. The suit is joined by Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. It follows other legal challenges filed by Monday by nine other states including Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

The lawsuits are the first to challenge the administration's new Title IX rules, which expand protections to LGBTQ+ students and add new safeguards for victims of sexual assault. The policy was finalized in April and takes effect in August.

Central to the dispute is a new provision expanding Title IX to LGBTQ+ students. The 1972 law forbids discrimination based on sex in education. Under the new rules, Title IX will also protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The states involved say it amounts to an illegal rewriting of the landmark legislation.

They argue it will clash with their own laws, including those restricting which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students can use, banning them from using facilities that align with their new gender identity.