Oklahoma and Florida officials tell state schools to ignore Biden’s Title IX changes

State governments in Oklahoma and Florida are telling schools not to conform to President Biden’s changes to Title IX policies.

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced Thursday morning that he has ordered schools in his state not to comply with the Biden administration’s changes to Title IX, which include gender identity protections.

“In conversations with several other state education leaders and legal counsel, there are serious concerns with the legality of these rule changes, especially as they relate to their redefinition of ‘sex’ to include gender identity,” Walters wrote in a letter to the state. superintendents.

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Walters said in his announcement that he expects legal challenges to the Title IX modifications in the coming days and urged schools to refrain from implementing changes until the matter is resolved.

“Please do not make any changes to district policy based on the new Title IX regulations,” Walters instructed state educators. “These federal rule changes are illegal, and making policy changes before the courts reach a final ruling on the legality of these rules could put your district out of compliance with other applicable and legal state and federal statutes.”

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Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. on Wednesday announced a similar intention to fight the Title IX changes, calling the new guidelines absurd.

“The Biden Administration mutilates the statute beyond recognition in an attempt to deceive the country into believing that biological sex no longer has any meaning,” Díaz said previously.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Sanford, Florida, on April 8, 2024. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital contacted the offices of Díaz and Walters but did not receive a response.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., also signaled a coming legal battle, writing on social media: “This rule is a wish list for the far left, including illegally expanding the rule’s reach off campus, reducing due process protections for students accused of misconduct, entrenching kangaroo courts, and decoupling ‘sex discrimination’ from biological sex.”

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Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says the new Title IX regulations make “very clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and that respect their rights.” (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

He biden administration unveiled the new rules last week to address concerns expressed by LGBTQ+ groups regarding the protection of gender identity.

The new regulations included expanding the definition of sex discrimination to include both sexual orientation and gender identity, which the president’s administration touts as protections for LGBT students.

“No one should face harassment or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Unfortunately, this happens all too often.”

The revealed rule changes also repealed regulations put in place by Trump’s former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, that guaranteed due process for defendants.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.