Judge Blocks Biden's Enforcement of LGBTQ+ Student Protection Rule in Expanded Areas
A federal judge in Kansas has blocked the implementation of a federal rule expanding anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students in four states and additional areas. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge John Broomes, marks the third such ruling against the rule in less than three weeks. The affected states are Alaska, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming, and the ruling also applies to a middle school in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where a student is suing over the rule.
The rule, set to take effect in August under Title IX, aims to expand the definition of sexual harassment in educational institutions and add safeguards for victims. Critics argue that it is a strategy by the Biden administration to permit transgender females to participate in girls’ and women’s sports teams, a practice banned or restricted in at least 24 states. Judge Broomes has directed three groups, including Moms for Liberty, Young America’s Foundation, and Female Athletes United, to file a list of schools attended by their members' children to ensure compliance. The judge stated that the rule is arbitrary and infringes on the free speech and religious rights of parents and students who do not accept transgender identities. The ruling will remain in effect pending the outcome of the lawsuit in Kansas.
