DeSantis Vows Non-Compliance: Florida Takes Stand Against Biden’s Title IX Rules

DEBARYLIFE – The Biden administration’s recently revealed Title IX reforms will not be followed by Florida, according to Governor Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday.

In a video uploaded to the social media site X, DeSantis declared, “Florida rejects [President Biden’s] attempt to rewrite Title IX.” “We’ll fight back and refuse to comply.”

“We will not allow Joe Biden to attempt to insert men into the lives of women,” DeSantis declared. “We refuse to allow Joe Biden to undercut parental rights or to misuse his constitutional authority in an attempt to force these policies on the people of Florida.”

On Friday, the Biden administration unveiled the final version of Title IX, which includes safeguards against sex-based discrimination for transgender students under the federal civil rights legislation. Early August will see the implementation of the adjustments.

“These final regulations clarify that all students in our country can attend schools that are safe, welcoming, and uphold their rights, building on the legacy of Title IX,” stated Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in a statement.

The so-called “Don’t Say Gay law,” which prohibits discussion of LGBTQ issues in Florida public schools, is one of the state statutes that LGBTQ groups have previously condemned DeSantis for allegedly harming their community.

Last year, a Florida LGBTQ advocacy group and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the biggest LGBTQ advocacy organization in the country, issued travel advice against visiting Florida.

On the whole, Florida’s laws and policies that restrict fundamental freedoms and rights “pose a significant risk to the health and safety of many considering relocation and/or temporary travel to the state,” according to a travel alert published by HRC and Equality Florida.

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The White House has been contacted by The Hill.

In an email to The Hill, HRC’s national press secretary, Brandon Wolf, stated that “politicians in Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and elsewhere are leaping to oppose crucial protections for students in America’s schools.”

Within the statement, Wolf stated, “These MAGA politicians are choosing hateful rhetoric and theatrics over protecting and furthering the needs of their state’s students.”

“Schools may suffer severe repercussions from failing to abide by Title IX, such as a large reduction in funding of hundreds of millions of dollars, which might be used to support students in achieving academic success. It seems that individuals who prioritize nothing but themselves and their political careers are prepared to make that sacrifice.

In a statement sent out via email on Thursday, Jon Harris Maurer, the public policy director of Equality Florida, added that DeSantis “cannot ignore federal protections designed to safeguard students and families, including LGBTQ students, survivors of sexual assault and harassment, and pregnant students.”

“Tens of thousands of parents have demonstrated against measures that turn their kids’ classrooms into political arenas at school board meetings. To create an atmosphere where every student may learn and succeed, we will keep collaborating with parents throughout the state.

“After a thorough process, the Department created the final Title IX regulations to fully implement the Title IX statutory guarantee that no one faces sex discrimination in federally funded education,” a U.S. Department of Education official wrote in an email to The Hill on Thursday.

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“We look forward to working with school communities across the nation to ensure that every student experiences the Title IX guarantee of nondiscrimination in schools as a condition of receiving federal funds, and all federally funded schools are required to comply with these final regulations.”

Florida’s Commissioner of Education, Manny Diaz Jr., informed school administrators in a memo dated Thursday and obtained by The Hill that Florida “will fight” the amendments to Title IX.

“The Biden Administration deforms the statute beyond recognition in an effort to gaslight the country into thinking that biological sex has no meaning,” the memo by Diaz states, “instead of implementing Congress’s clear directive to prevent discrimination based on biological sex.”