Texas governor says state will ignore ‘illegal’ Biden Title IX revisions | TheHill

This blog originally appeared at THE HILL.

The governor of Texas declares that the state will disregard the Biden administration’s Title IX revisions, deeming them “illegal.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced on Monday that his state will refuse to comply with the Biden administration’s extensive revisions to Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in government-funded schools.

In a letter addressed to President Biden, Abbott strongly criticized the amended regulations, particularly those offering enhanced protections for transgender students. He labeled these changes as “illegal” and condemned them as a “clumsy attempt to impose leftist ideology onto Title IX,” asserting that they surpass the President’s authority.

In his letter, Abbott accused the administration of rewriting Title IX to compel schools to treat boys as girls and accept students’ self-declared gender identities, arguing that such actions exceed the President’s constitutional powers.

A growing number of states led by Republican governors have expressed opposition to the finalized Title IX rules issued by the Education Department earlier this month. Education officials in Florida, Louisiana, Wyoming, South Carolina, and Oklahoma have publicly criticized the Biden administration’s alterations to Title IX, contending that the new policies undermine the rights of women and girls by broadening the law’s definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity.

Abbott affirmed in his letter that he will direct the Texas Education Agency to disregard the new policies, citing concerns about their compatibility with Texas state law.

“I am directing the Texas Education Agency to disregard your unlawful mandate,” Abbott declared. “Your revision of Title IX not only exceeds your constitutional authority but also disregards laws that I signed to safeguard the integrity of women’s sports by preventing men from competing against female athletes. Texas will vigorously defend these laws and oppose your abuse of authority.”

More than a dozen Republican-led states have passed laws that prevent transgender students from using restrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity or prohibit teachers and students from acknowledging a transgender individual’s chosen name and pronouns. Compliance with such laws may run counter to the new Title IX regulations, a senior administration official informed The Hill, particularly if it fosters a hostile environment.

In Texas, Abbott enacted two laws aimed at barring transgender women from participating in sports teams consistent with their gender identity in public schools and universities. While the Education Department introduced a proposal last April governing athletic eligibility that would prohibit policies like those in Texas, the Biden administration has not yet finalized the rule.