First Challenge in the Nation to be Heard in Court
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 10, 2024) – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti urged a federal judge in Lexington to block the Biden Administration’s outrageous new Title IX rule that rips away 50 years of protections from women and girls in education and sports. The motion for a preliminary injunction was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Of the 26 states that have sued to stop the Biden Administration’s overhaul of Title IX, the Kentucky and Tennessee-led coalition is the first to be heard in federal court.
“Today, we are in court to protect Kentucky women and girls and their opportunities to succeed,” said Attorney General Coleman. “The Biden Administration’s assault on Title IX would end 50 years of protections and fairness. Kentucky and Tennessee are leading the national effort in urging the court to block this rule that violates the Constitution and common sense.”
In April, Attorneys General Coleman and Skrmetti, along with four other AGs, challenged the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX overhaul that changes the definition of sex discrimination and harassment to now include “gender identity” and “sex characteristics.” The new rules require K-12 schools, colleges and universities to allow males identifying as females access to women’s sports, bathrooms and locker rooms.
“We’re working to end the administration’s new Title IX rule for good, but today’s hearing was about stopping the rule from going into effect on August 1,” said Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti in a statement. “We don’t want our schools and universities wasting money preparing to enforce a rule that may well be struck down. While we fight over the rule’s constitutionality, the money that would be spent on retraining and compliance to implement radical gender ideology could instead go toward educating our kids.”
Any school failing to comply with the new Biden Administration rule – even if it follows state law – could lose federal education funding, including access to programs designed to help at-risk and needy youth.
In addition to dismantling equal opportunities for women, the U.S. Department of Education rule upends existing parental rights, repeals free speech protections and undermines due process.
Kentucky and Tennessee were joined in their challenge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky by Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
