U.S. Department of Education officials said Wednesday that the Title IX law protecting sex-based discrimination also covers transgender students. The department’s Office for Civil Rights’ interpretation of the law is a reversal of the department’s position during the Trump administration and sets up a potential confrontation between the federal government and several states, including Florida, that have passed laws banning or restricting transgender females from participating in high school and college women’s sports. “Equity in education means all students have access to schools that allow them to learn and thrive in all aspects of their educational experience,” said Suzanne B. Goldberg, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights. “As part of our mission to protect all students’ civil rights, it is essential that OCR acts to eliminate discrimination that targets LGBTQ+ students.”
