The U.S. Department of Education has formally reverted to recognizing biological sex as the basis for Title IX protections in schools, overturning a 2024 interpretation by the Biden administration. This decision, communicated through an official letter, reinstates the 2020 Title IX rule established under the Trump administration. The Department of Education emphasizes that this move safeguards free speech on campuses and strengthens due process protections for students involved in Title IX proceedings.

Craig Trainor, who served as the acting assistant secretary for Civil Rights during the Trump administration, criticized the Biden administration's previous interpretation as an "unlawful abuse of regulatory power" and detrimental to women and girls. He affirmed the Department's commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all, including access to safe and separate facilities based on biological sex.

Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs, saw its definition of "sex" expanded under the Biden administration to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation. This reinterpretation faced legal challenges, culminating in a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty in June 2024 and a subsequent overruling by Chief Judge Danny Reeves of the Eastern District Court of Kentucky in January 2025. Both judges argued that the Biden administration's interpretation distorted the original intent of Title IX.

Prominent figures like Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and advocate for female athletes, and Betsey DeVos, the former Secretary of Education under President Trump, celebrated the Department of Education's decision. Gaines highlighted the restoration of the original meaning of "sex" as male and female, emphasizing the potential loss of federal funding for non-compliant educational programs. DeVos welcomed the return of "common sense."