WASHINGTON — This week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which already has abandoned any efforts to enforce Title IX’s protections against sexual harassment and discrimination, took the additional step of affirmatively rescinding provisions of previously negotiated resolution agreements, reversing commitments made with schools to address findings of gender discrimination under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Title IX was not handed down quietly—it was the result of years of organizing, advocacy, and persistence by women, students, and civil rights leaders who challenged entrenched discrimination in education. The law was created to ensure that no student would be denied participation in, excluded from, or subjected to discrimination in federally funded education programs on the basis of sex—covering everything from athletics to admissions to protection from harassment and violence.
Such reversals of closed Title IX matters are highly unusual and represent a significant departure from longstanding enforcement practices, going beyond prior efforts to scale back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:
“This decision guts long-standing Title IX agreements and strikes at the heart of a 50-year-old civil rights law: sex discrimination has no place in our schools, and every student deserves the chance to succeed and grow without fear of bias or harassment. Last year, OCR did not resolve a single case of sexual harassment or assault in K-12 schools, and with this step, the Administration is now undoing agreements already in place.
“Title IX guarantees that all students, regardless of sex—including their gender identity or sexual orientation—can learn in safe, welcoming environments. Rolling back agreements designed to address discrimination puts those protections at risk and raises serious concerns about student safety and equity.
“At a time when we should be strengthening protections for our most vulnerable students, including our trans students, some politicians are choosing to divide communities and make schools less safe by singling out certain students for who they are. We owe it to every student to ensure schools are safe, inclusive places where they can learn and thrive—no exceptions. We will not stand by while the rights generations fought to secure are stripped away from the students who depend on them today.”
