On April 4, 2025, the Trump administration announced the formation of the Title IX Special Investigations Team (SIT), a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice. This initiative aims to address what officials describe as a “staggering volume” of Title IX complaints, with a particular focus on protecting female athletes from the “pernicious … [Read more...] about U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice Announce Creation of Title IX Special Investigation Team
Title IX
Office for Civil Rights Finds Maine Department of Education Out of Compliance with Title IX
Since February of 2025, the Maine Department of Education (“MDOE”) has been the subject of multiple Federal investigations regarding its alleged noncompliance with Title IX and FERPA. In her latest School Law Bullet (SLB), Education Law Attorney Avery E. Smith, Esq., reviews the various investigations and findings against MDOE, and discusses the broader implications they may have for … [Read more...] about Office for Civil Rights Finds Maine Department of Education Out of Compliance with Title IX
Four Years in the Making – And Gone in One Lower Court Ruling!
For a statute with a concise statement of thirty-seven words, Title IX has had a long history of interpretations since its passage with the Education Amendments of 1972: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial … [Read more...] about Four Years in the Making – And Gone in One Lower Court Ruling!
Dear Colleague Letter Confirms Return to 2020 Title IX Regulations
On January 31, 2025, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a Dear Colleague Letter stating that OCR “will enforce Title IX under the provisions of the 2020 Title IX Rule, rather than the recently invalidated 2024 Title IX Rule… open Title IX investigations initiated under the 2024 Title IX Rule should be immediately reoriented to comport fully with the requirements … [Read more...] about Dear Colleague Letter Confirms Return to 2020 Title IX Regulations
USDOE Withdraws Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Sex-Related Criteria for Athletics
On December 26, 2024, the United States Department of Education (the “Department”) published a formal notice withdrawing its notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”), Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams. The Department’s formal notice can be found … [Read more...] about USDOE Withdraws Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Sex-Related Criteria for Athletics
Title IX in Collegiate Sports: Federal Judge Rules in Favor of the University of Kentucky
Amidst ongoing litigation against the Department of Education’s 2024 Title IX regulations, Judge Karen K. Caldwell of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky chimes in on higher institutions’ obligation to accommodate the interests and abilities of female students to play collegiate sports. In his latest Collegiate Comment, Brian J. Taylor, Esq., Chair of … [Read more...] about Title IX in Collegiate Sports: Federal Judge Rules in Favor of the University of Kentucky
