Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has initiated a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration's new Title IX rule. The rule proposes redefining "sex" to include "gender identity," potentially affecting female-only bathrooms and locker rooms in schools nationwide.
Marshall criticized President Joe Biden's approach, stating, "Since taking office, Joe Biden has brazenly attempted to use federal funding to force radical gender ideology onto states that reject it at the ballot box." He expressed concern over the impact on Alabama's educational institutions, saying, "The threat is that if Alabama’s public schools and universities do not conform, then the federal government will take away our funding."
This lawsuit follows previous challenges by Alabama against similar federal mandates. In 2022, Alabama contested a U.S. Department of Agriculture rule linking compliance with gender identity policies to food-stamp and school lunch funding. That case was dismissed after the federal government acknowledged limitations in its policy.
Marshall emphasized local opposition to such policies: "Alabama parents do not share the Biden Administration’s goal of genderlessness in our schools." He referenced past incidents in other states as cautionary examples and noted state laws protecting girls' sports and prohibiting gender ideology education for young students.
Expressing confidence in their legal stance, Marshall stated, “I am pleased to be among the first to challenge this ill-conceived rule that would infringe on the constitutional rights of students, parents, faculty, and the State of Alabama itself.” He anticipates a favorable outcome against what he described as another failure by the Biden administration.
Joining Alabama in this legal action are Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and several non-profit organizations including the Independent Women’s Forum, Parent’s Defending Education, and Speech First.