The Biden administration has introduced new rules for Title IX on Friday regarding LGBTQ involvement in school sports and modernizing the process of reporting and probing sexual misconduct.
These new changes, which will be effective on August 1, officially include gender identity in the protections against sexual discrimination. This means a university cannot treat any student differently based on the gender they identify with, according to Fox News.
The second modification to Title IX is getting rid of procedures put in place by former President Donald Trump, which mandated schools to conduct live hearings and allowed students to question each other.
Now, schools can hold the hearings in private and will interview the students separately about the alleged incident. The students can suggest questions for the school to ask, as reported by Fox News.
Universities will also be required to educate employees about the “school’s duty to address sex discrimination, as well as employees’ responsibility to inform or provide contact details for the Title IX Coordinator,” as per ABC News. required These changes will be applicable to all colleges, elementary, and high schools that receive federal funding in any way.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the new modifications while talking with reporters and stated that the updates ensure that everyone can access safe, welcoming schools that respect their rights, according to The New York Times.
Though the applauded have been commended by many in the Biden administration, critics have expressed concerns that male students will be allowed to enter female locker rooms due to their gender identity claims.
Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer and women’s sports advocate, criticized the updated guidelines and asserted that the Biden administration was “unilaterally erasing fifty years of equal opportunity law for women.” changes “The president and his administration can’t act like they care about women or our opportunities and then go and wipe out women’s protections under the country’s landmark sex equality law,” she said, as reported by Fox News.
“Title IX was passed over fifty years ago to end unjust discrimination in education, including athletics. I experienced this law [being] undermined when female athletes like myself were told to keep quiet when a male swimmer took home a title in the women’s division and deprived female athletes of awards, honors, and the opportunity to compete,” she said.
Another concern raised by some about the
regulations is the absence of a prohibition on transgender athletes participating in sports consistent with their gender identity rather than sexual orientation. However, Biden administration officials informed ABC News that the development of this ban is in progress.
The Biden administration has announced new guidelines for Title IX on Friday concerning LGBTQ participation in school sports and updating the process of reporting and investigating sexual misconduct. These new changes, which will be effective on August 1, officially incorporate gender identity into the protections against sexual discrimination. This implies that a university will […] updated guidelines is the lack of a ban on transgender athletes participating in sports aligned with their gender identity rather than sexual orientation, but Biden administration officials told ABC News that the development for this ban is in the works.
