Federal court halts Biden's Title IX regulations in four new states

A federal court in Kansas on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration's Title IX regulations from taking effect in four states, becoming the latest court to stop the new controversial rules from taking effect in August. 

The Department of Education's new rules expanded the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and pregnancy, and included a ban on single-sex bathroom and locker rooms. It also required schools to use pronouns based on a student's preferred gender identity. The new rules have now been stopped in 14 states as of Tuesday.

Federal judge John Broomes ruled on the side of attorneys general in Kansas, Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming, claiming that Title IX was meant to protect biological women from discrimination in education.

"The legislative history [of Title IX] supports a finding that the term 'sex' referred to biological sex," Broomes wrote in his ruling. "One of the principal purposes of the statute was to root out discrimination against women in education. The legislative history shows that Congress was concerned about the unequal treatment between men and women for admissions opportunities, scholarships, and sports."

The lawsuit seeking the injunction was also filed on behalf of three private organizations: Moms for Liberty, Young America’s Foundation, and Female Athletes United. The injunction will also prohibit the new rules in schools that are attended by members of Young America’s Foundation and the children of Moms for Liberty members, across all 50 states.

“Gender ideology does not belong in public schools and we are glad the courts made the correct call to support parental rights," Moms for Liberty founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich said in a statement shared with Just The News. "We will always stand up for the rights of parents and the protection of children.

"All parents must have their voices heard and their right to raise their own children is part of the very fabric of a free America. The federal government has no right to claim our children as their own or to push parents out of the classroom.”

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach also celebrated the legal victory in a statement, according to the NBC News affiliate KSNT. 

"We have had many wins in court, but to me, this is the biggest one yet," Kobach said. "[This] protects girls and women across the country from having their privacy rights and safety violated in bathrooms and locker rooms and from having their freedom of speech violated if they say there are only two sexes."

The rules have also been blocked in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho so far, among others.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.