AFT’s Weingarten on Biden Administration’s New Title IX Rules

WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement after the Department of Education issued new Title IX rules cementing protections for LGBTQIA+ students under federal law and updating the procedure schools must follow when investigating and adjudicating cases of alleged sexual misconduct on campus:

"Title IX's protections paved the way for monumental strides in access to education and more for millions of students across the country and have opened doors for generations of women and girls. Title IX was enacted to ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities-to learn and to thrive-regardless of gender and free from sex discrimination. Unfortunately, under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, some of the most important protections were rolled back, silencing survivors and sometimes derailing students' education. With these new rules, the Biden administration has sent a message that an education free from discrimination remains as vital now as it was when Title IX was first enacted over 50 years ago.

"We know that our students and educators can't thrive when they're not safe and treated with respect. I hope these changes re-instill faith in the Title IX process, and we thank Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and the entire administration for making such significant strides. We look forward to additional final guidance that protects all students from politically motivated blanket bans-banning books, banning history, banning certain students because of sexuality or gender identity-which have no place in a country that believes in freedom and equality."

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The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.