The administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has criticized new regulations proposed by the Biden administration that could prevent schools from enforcing bans on trans-identifying males in girls’ sports.

Manny Diaz Jr., Commissioner of Education, responded to the proposed regulations, asserting they will not be tolerated in Florida.

Diaz stated, “This is a sad, pathetic attempt from a completely inept administration to force their woke worldview on the rest of us… We will never allow boys to play in girls’ sports. We will fight this overreach tooth and nail. And we will stop at nothing to uphold the protections afforded women under Title IX.”

The proposed Title IX rules from the Biden administration’s education department indicate that schools receiving federal funding cannot impose blanket bans on biological males in girls’ sports but may exclude them on a case-by-case basis.

The education department explained that the proposal would allow schools “the flexibility to develop their own participation policies.”

To limit or ban a trans-identified student from participating on the team of their preferred gender, the “sex-related criteria” must meet two standards: they must relate to an “important educational objective” and “minimize harms” to the trans-identified student.

The department cited examples such as preventing sports-related injuries or maintaining “fairness in competition” as important educational objectives.

Female athletes in several states have expressed concerns about competing against biological males.

In Connecticut, high school girls filed a federal lawsuit in 2020, claiming that competing against trans-identifying males cost them opportunities for championship titles, state records, and scholarships.

Parents’ rights advocates argue that the proposed regulations are too vague and may discourage schools from enforcing any limits on males in girls’ sports.

Nicole Neily, president and founder of Parents Defending Education, said, “Without a doubt, institutions are going to err on the side of ‘inclusion,’ because they fear the wrath of the Education Department – thus, achieving the Department’s end goal while allowing them to maintain plausible deniability that they coerced districts into doing so.”

Erika Sanzi, the group’s director of outreach, referred to the administration as a “gender czar” and accused them of “putting school districts in an impossible position.”

On the other hand, transgender activists expressed concern that the rule allows too much flexibility for schools seeking to ban trans-identifying males from competing with girls.

The proposed regulations will now be subject to public comment, during which they are likely to face challenges from critics.

If approved, the rules would apply to all public K-12 schools, colleges, and universities receiving federal funding.