A federal judge in Kentucky struck down President Joe Biden’s attempt to expand Title IX to include protections for transgender students—delivering a blow to the Biden administration and LGBTQ community just days before he leaves office.
Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves of the Eastern District of Kentucky ruled on Thursday the Education Department could not expand Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
Reeves wrote in the 15-page ruling that trying to include gender identity in Title IX would “turn [it] on its head” and would render the legislation “largely meaningless.
He ruled the Education Department was exceeding its statutory authority in its attempt to expand the protections.
In April, the Biden administration finalized new rules—that have been facing legal challenges nearly since their introduction—attempting to offer more protections to transgender students against harassment.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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