Biden admin’s Title IX rule threatens safety, equal opportunities for women

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule published Thursday that interprets Title IX of the Civil Rights Act in a manner inconsistent with the plain meaning of that law to illegitimately inject it with the administration’s political preferences, thereby disregarding a wide range of constitutionally protected freedoms:

“Fifty years ago, Congress acted to protect equal opportunity for women by passing Title IX. Now, by radically rewriting federal law, the Biden administration is threatening the advancements women have long fought to achieve in education and athletics. In addition to denying women a fair and level playing field in sports, this new rule could impose widespread harms, including threatening the health of adults and children, denying free speech on campus, trampling parental rights, violating religious liberty, and endangering unborn human life.”

The following quotes may be attributed to several of the female athletes ADF represents:

Chelsea Mitchell, former high school track athlete from Canton High School in Connecticut: “As an elite female runner in the state of Connecticut, I knew I had a shot at first place when I lined up on the starting blocks. But that all changed when I was forced to compete against biological male athletes and, as a result, I lost four state championships and two all-New England awards. Weakening Title IX protections means other girls will experience the heartbreak of losing to biological males who are inherently bigger, faster, and stronger—destroying fairness and equal opportunity for women, the very reason Title IX was enacted.”

Madison Kenyon, track and cross-country athlete at Idaho State University: “As a cross-country runner for Idaho State University, I’ve been forced to compete repeatedly against a male athlete—and lost each and every race. Losing unfairly to someone who has natural advantages is frustrating and disheartening. Title IX opened doors for female athletes to chase their dreams and be rewarded for their hard work. Now, those same opportunities are in jeopardy for young women across the country, which is why we must continue fighting to preserve the category of female sports.”

Lainey Armistead, former soccer player at West Virginia State University: “Protecting fairness in women’s sports is a women’s rights issue. Women have always had to fight for opportunities. We spent years fighting for equal rights in sports, and with Title IX, it seemed as if we’d won. But by rewriting this monumental civil rights law, the administration is discriminating against women—threatening their safety and aspirations.”

Selina Soule, former high school track and field athlete from Glastonbury High School in Connecticut: “We should be celebrating 50 years of Title IX protections for female athletes. Instead, we’re having to fight for women to even have their own sports teams. Throughout high school, I was forced to compete against biological males, so I know firsthand how demoralizing it is to work so hard to shave fractions of a second off my time, only to come in second place behind a biological male runner. Civil rights laws like Title IX were written to protect girls, not set them up to fail like the administration is doing with its rewriting of this federal law.”

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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