Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured additional legal protections for women in Texas's educational institutions, blocking the Biden Administration from interpreting Title IX to include "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" as protected classes.
In June 2023, Paxton sued the Department of Education (DOE) over guidance that extended Title IX protections to these categories. This would have required Texas schools and universities to allow biological males access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and other sex-specific spaces, with non-compliance risking federal education funding. In June 2024, a federal district court judge ruled that the Biden Administration's attempt to reinterpret Title IX was unlawful and vacated the rule.
The judge has now expanded this ruling, enjoining any future DOE actions that would rewrite Title IX to include "sexual orientation or gender identity" within its anti-discrimination provisions. This follows an earlier injunction Paxton secured in July 2024 against another DOE rule aiming to redefine Title IX similarly.
"This is a major win for protecting Texas and its students from any future attempt by the federal government to impose its unlawful interpretation of Title IX that puts women and girls at risk," said Attorney General Paxton. "The Biden Administration has waged war on women’s rights by subverting the Title IX protections they are entitled to in school and in sports. I am proud to deliver this victory and will continue to ensure that Texas schools remain safe from Biden’s unlawful policies."
To read the final order, click here.