53 parent groups confront Biden education secretary over new Title IX rules: 'Disgraceful'

WASHINGTON (CITC) — More than 50 parent organizations confronted the Biden administration Wednesday over its newest Title IX rules, claiming it is prioritizing "inclusion" over student safety.

In a letter led by Parents Defending Education (PDE), the 53 groups accused U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona of violating the rights of students through the changes. The new regulations released earlier this month broaden the federal civil rights law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in educational institutions receiving federal funding.

However, the parent groups claim the Education Department is putting students' rights at risk "in the name of 'inclusion.'"

"Schools cannot compel a student to use another’s 'preferred' names or pronouns, especially when it violates the student’s deeply held beliefs," the letter reads. "While everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, nobody is entitled to the words or beliefs of another person."

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The letter also asserts the new regulations will jeopardize the safety of students both in school facilities, such as restrooms and locker rooms, and on athletic teams. The parent groups claim the rewrite of Title IX, originally most known for ensuring equal treatment for women's sports, will "mean the end to sex-separated sports."

"Women and girls will continue to lose out on opportunities to join sports teams, win titles, and obtain needed athletic scholarships to compete and study at the collegiate level," the letter reads. "They will also face a much greater risk of injury."

The Biden administration faced backlash last year when it proposed including language in the final regulations prohibiting schools from implementing blanket bans on students competing in sports based on gender identity. However, the proposal was absent from this month's release, a move some feel is designed to bolster President Joe Biden's reelection efforts.

Erika Sanzi, the Director of Outreach for PDE, told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) Wednesday "it's disgraceful that our president is the reason we must fight."

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When asked to comment on Wednesday's letter, a spokesperson for the Education Department said the agency is "reviewing it."

"Without speaking to the specifics of the letter, the Department crafted the final Title IX regulations following a rigorous process to give complete effect to the Title IX statutory guarantee that no person experiences sex discrimination in federally funded education," the spokesperson told CITC.

Secretary Cardona has celebrated the new regulations, saying they build upon Title IX's "legacy" by "clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”

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