USDE will Enforce 2020 Title IX Rule (February 3, 2025)

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 ā€œsexā€ 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 judgeā€™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