Appeals court upholds block on expanding Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s block on a new Biden Administration rule that would expand Title IX discrimination protections for gay and transgender students in Tennessee and five other states.

The ruling comes as judges in nearly a dozen states have blocked the Department of Education rule from taking effect on Aug. 1.

Attorneys general from Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia along with the association of Christian educators filed a lawsuit to block the rule from going into effect.

The Court of Appeals in its ruling agreed with a previous decision from a Kentucky federal judge that determined the new rule would unlawfully redefine sex discrimination under Title IX.

“As we see it, the district court likely concluded correctly that the Rule’s definition of sex discrimination exceeds the Department’s authority,” the Court of Appeals wrote.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti in a social media post lauded the decision as “another big win for Tennessee.”

“Court of Appeals confirms that the new Title IX rule, that would have allowed boys into girls’ locker rooms and private spaces, remains BLOCKED and will not go into effect this summer,” he wrote.

Opponents have argued that the rule would allow transgender women to use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, while the Department of Education has said the rule should be clarified to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Multiple lawsuits are pending in other states.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Court upholds block on more Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students