Biden finalizes Title IX overhaul expanding LGBTQ+ student protections

The Biden Education Department finalizes sweeping new Title IX regulations, the first comprehensive revision in over 50 years. The rules expand protections for LGBTQ+ students, clarifying that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. They also strengthen protections for pregnant students and overhaul the Trump-era campus sexual assault adjudication process. The rules deliberately omit a provision on transgender athletes, a compromise reflecting political concerns about the issue in a presidential election year. Republican states immediately file lawsuits, and courts ultimately block the rules. A Kentucky federal judge strikes them down in late 2024.