A federal court has issued a ruling that halts President Joe Biden's proposed changes to Title IX, which aimed to expand the definition of sex to include gender identity across the United States. This decision comes amid significant controversy surrounding the administration's efforts to allow biological males to participate in women's sports and access women-only spaces.
Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves of the Kentucky district court criticized the reinterpretation of Title IX, asserting that discrimination based on sex should strictly refer to male and female distinctions. He emphasized that altering the definition to include gender identity fundamentally undermines the original intent of the law.
This ruling follows a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty in June, who argued that the proposed changes violated the separation of powers and strayed from Title IX's original purpose of protecting biological women from discrimination.
Republican-led states and legal organizations have welcomed the court's decisions. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti described the ruling as a significant victory, while Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen highlighted it as a protective measure for women's rights.
Montana, Louisiana, Idaho, and Mississippi were among the states that joined the challenge against the Biden administration's Title IX alterations. In December, the administration announced it would cease pursuing the changes due to ongoing legal challenges that obstructed implementation before Biden's term concludes.
This court ruling is viewed as a notable win for the incoming Trump administration, which has indicated intentions to reverse the Title IX modifications enacted during Biden's presidency.