CHEYENNE – Wyoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder has joined Manny Diaz, Jr.; Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education (FDE) and other state school leaders in signing a comment letter opposing the United States Department of Education’s recent Title IX notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) affecting K-12 and collegiate athletics.
On April 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend 34 CFR § 106.41(b). With the proposed rule change, the U.S. Department seeks to prohibit state laws like Wyoming’s Senate File 133 “Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Activities” which ban biological males from participating in sports against biological females. This is another attempt by the Biden Administration to usurp the rights of states that will make women’s sports unsafe and unfair.
“As a female collegiate athlete and coach, I am a champion for safe and fair women’s sports and that means keeping those sports to biological women. I was a vocal supporter of Wyoming Senate File 133 as a Wyoming solution to this issue. I will always push back against the federal government encroaching on our ability to deal with issues in a way that works best for Wyoming” said Superintendent Degenfelder.
Superintendent Degenfelder and Commissioner Diaz are joined by Arkansas Secretary of the Department of Education Jacob Oliva and North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt in their opposition to the proposed rule. Degenfelder believes that the proposed rule change is inconsistent with federal and state laws, contradicts the intent of Title IX, and effectively prevents sex-based criteria from being used to ensure equal athletic opportunity. The proposed rule change in application will erase years of hard-fought opportunities for women.
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Media Contact:
Linda Finnerty, Communications Director
307-777-2053
linda.finnerty@wyo.gov
