Trump administration rescinds Biden-era Title IX rule that included gender identity and sexual orientation

What This is

• The Education Department withdrew the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule and brought back the 2020 Trump-era Title IX regulatory text.
• The rescinded 2024 rule had said Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination also covers discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
• The rollback took effect immediately by restoring the 2020 rule to the federal regulatory code.
• The repealed 2024 rule also included requirements for schools to take more proactive steps to address sexual assault, and it included protections for pregnant and parenting students.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the change is meant to clarify that girls’ and women’s sports should be reserved for females.
• The department said the rollback is intended to give clearer guidance to schools, parents, and students about what Title IX requires.

Why This Matters

• It changes how clearly federal rules spell out protections for LGBTQ students under a major education civil-rights law.
• It pushes more school policy fights into courts and state rules, because the federal rules give less direct direction on gender identity and sexual orientation.
• It can shift how schools handle sexual harassment and assault complaints, since the rules set different duties and timelines for investigations and discipline.