On January 31, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) directing school districts and colleges to follow the 2020 Title IX rule for investigating sex discrimination in schools, closing the chapter on a Biden administration rule that faced much legal turmoil.
The letter from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor confirms that under the 2020 rule, the interpretation of “sex” means being born male or female. The letter also clarified that any open Title IX investigations initiated under the 2024 Title IX Rule should be immediately re-evaluated to comply with the requirements of the 2020 rule.
According to Trainor, the change in approach is based on a federal judge’s decision earlier in January that struck down the 2024 rule as unconstitutional across the country. That rule for the first time extended Title IX civil rights protections to LGBTQI+ students and employees at federally funded schools and colleges, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
To view the DCL, click here.
Source: K-12 Dive