Staff Reports
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has called on the state’s public universities and community colleges to defy a new rule change put in place by the Biden administration regarding Title IX. Last week, Abbott had already declared that the state would not comply and directed the Texas Education Agency to do the same. Texas filed a lawsuit against the administration over the rule change, along with several other states, arguing that it is unlawful.
The issue centers around the Department of Education under the Biden administration redefining the term “sex” in the Title IX statute to include “gender identity.” Title IX was established to prevent discrimination against women in educational programs receiving federal funds. The new rule seeks to expand the definition of biological sex and mandates that schools allow men who identify as women to access female-only facilities and participate in female-only sports, or else risk losing federal funding.
Abbott instructs Texas colleges, universities to not comply with Biden Title IX rule – Washington Examiner https://t.co/tS3HyIhDVm
— Jerry Ballan (@OSUballan) May 9, 2024
Abbott wrote to chairmen and regents at public colleges across Texas, instructing them not to comply with President Biden’s revision of Title IX, which he believes opposes the original purpose of the law and its support for women’s advancement. He emphasized that Texas has enacted laws to ensure campus safety and fair due process in handling reports of sexual harassment and assault, as well as to protect the integrity of women’s sports by prohibiting men from competing against female athletes.
The governor’s letter was addressed to various university systems and community colleges statewide. The move followed a report from Texas A&M’s student newspaper, The Battalion, which initially indicated that the university was making efforts to adhere to the new rule change, but later updated its article to include a link to the governor’s letter and a statement from the university announcing a reversal of its course.
Over the past several years, Abbott and the Texas legislature have taken multiple steps to safeguard girls’ sports. Last year, Abbott signed the Save Women’s Sports Act into law, preventing biological males from competing against biological females in Texas colleges and universities. In 2021, a similar bill was signed to protect girls’ sports in Texas public schools. Additionally, Abbott approved four bills in previous legislative sessions to address student safety and the adjudication processes in cases of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses.
