With the August 1 implementation date for the new U.S. Department of Education Title IX rules approaching, I want to provide an update on the progress being made to push back. I continue to oppose these new rules because they endanger female students, decrease the due process rights of teachers and students, infringe upon the religious liberty of teachers and students, and create unnecessary and overly burdensome requirements on school districts.
I have partnered with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Attorney General Bridget Hill to join a lawsuit with Kansas, Alaska, Oklahoma, and Utah to challenge these rules. Currently, more than half of the country’s states have joined lawsuits challenging these rules. I will be uniting with education officials from across the country who are involved with these lawsuits in D.C. next week to discuss our collective legal and political strategy. The more we work together, the more influence we have to defeat these ill-conceived rules.
While I cannot predict the outcome of those lawsuits, I do believe that some or all of the rules will be enjoined, overturned, or otherwise invalidated when the dust in the courtroom settles. Therefore, my recommendation is that the most prudent course of action at this time for Wyoming school districts is to continue under their current Title IX policies and practices.
Wyoming districts have robust policies in place to prevent and address discrimination of all types, and I am confident these education leaders will continue to carry them out with fidelity. As districts consult with local legal counsel regarding the new rules, know that we are working hard to sort through the potential implications. It is my goal to ensure that top-down federal edicts do not prevent Wyoming’s school districts from continuing to provide a safe environment for all students and staff.
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Media Contact:
Linda Finnerty, Communications Director
307-777-2053
linda.finnerty@wyo.gov