Federal Judge Blocks Title IX Guidance for Transgender Students

On July 15, Federal District Court Judge Charles Atchley for the Eastern District of Tennessee issued a temporary injunction blocking the Department of Education’s Title IX guidance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. As plaintiffs in this injunction, the State of Tennessee and 19 other states argued that the Title IX guidance “directly interferes with and threatens plaintiff states’ ability to continue enforcing their state laws, and that the guidance puts substantial pressure on the states to change state laws or risk losing federal funding.”  Specifically, these plaintiff states argued that the “Department of Education guidance on Title IX interferes with their ability to enforce laws that prohibit transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms or playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.” The temporary injunction only applies to the 20 plaintiff states. According to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, universities in these states can still establish policies to protect transgender students on campus.