How Biden’s Title IX Reform Became a Legal Morass

A little more than 100 days ago, the Biden administration finalized its overhaul of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which promised to usher in a new era for the federal civil rights law with greater protections for LGBTQ+ students and those who are pregnant, as well as new measures aimed at better supporting victims of sexual harassment. Complying with the rule by Aug. 1 would have been a lift for overtaxed Title IX offices in the best of times. But the new rule has run headlong into a divisive national debate about diversity, equity and inclusion and the rights of transgender individuals—complicating colleges’ efforts to comply and raising the stakes for officials in Republican-led states who do. (One Title IX administrator in Texas was suspended after telling a student newspaper that her university would follow the new regulations.)