In a significant decision, a federal court in Kentucky has blocked a Department of Education rule that sought to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s self-asserted “gender identity” in K–12 schools and colleges. The decision, issued on January 9 by Judge Danny C. Reeves of the District Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky, has been heralded as a victory for those opposing the regulation.
Judge Reeves ruled that the Department of Education “exceeded its statutory authority” and that the rule violates the U.S. Constitution by potentially chilling speech related to gender ideology and being overly vague. According to Reeves, the Title IX prohibition on sex discrimination “is abundantly clear” in its original intent to prevent discrimination “on the basis of being male or female.” He further stated that “throwing gender identity into the mix eviscerates the statute and renders it largely meaningless.”
The blocked rule, implemented by the Biden administration, had reinterpreted Title IX’s 1972 ban on “sex” discrimination to include “gender identity” despite the term’s absence from the original law. Reeves emphasized that interpreting Title IX’s provisions in this way would violate the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech by compelling individuals to affirm beliefs they might disagree with, particularly in relation to pronouns and gender ideology. “The plaintiffs reasonably fear that teachers’ (and others’) speech concerning gender issues or their failure to use gender-identity-based pronouns would constitute harassment under the final rule,” Reeves wrote in his ruling.
The lawsuit against the rule was filed by attorneys general from six states: West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia. They argued that the rule would undermine state laws separating athletics, bathrooms, locker rooms, and dormitories by biological sex. West Virginia Attorney General and Governor-elect Patrick Morrisey called the decision a “victory not only for the rule of law, but also for common sense and the safety of every student.” He further noted, “The Biden administration’s Title IX revisions would have ended sex-based protections for biological women in all aspects of education, and this would have marked a retreat from the progress women have made.”
The ruling has also been celebrated as a milestone for women’s sports and privacy protections. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), representing a female high-school athlete and the Christian Educators Association International in the case, hailed the court order as “a colossal win for women and girls across the country.” ADF President Kristen Waggoner stated, “This ruling provides enormous relief for students across the country, including our client who has already suffered harassment by a male student in the locker room and on her sports team.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares praised the decision as a safeguard for women’s protections established under Title IX. “All of America is now safe from Biden’s attempt to undermine half a century of landmark protections for women,” Miyares said.
As the court’s decision was handed down less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, an appeal by the Biden administration is unlikely, essentially rendering the rule void. Trump has vowed to reverse federal regulations promoting gender ideology, promising to “stop the transgender lunacy” on his first day in office.
This ruling represents not only a legal victory but also a reaffirmation of the original intent of Title IX as a protection against sex-based discrimination. For Catholics, the decision highlights the importance of preserving biological realities in education and society while upholding the dignity of every person. As debates over gender ideology continue, the Catholic community is called to witness to the truth of God’s design for humanity, advocating for policies that respect the complementarity of male and female as foundational to the common good.
