CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Department of Education has formally rescinded the Biden administration’s Title IX rule and reinstated the 2020 regulations, a move Governor Patrick Morrisey says restores long‑standing protections for women and girls in education and athletics.
The decision comes amid a national debate over how Title IX — the landmark 1972 civil rights law prohibiting sex‑based discrimination — should apply to transgender students. Over the past two years, multiple states filed lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s interpretation, arguing it exceeded federal authority and conflicted with existing state laws. Several federal courts issued injunctions blocking the Biden rule, and more than 20 states adopted legislation reinforcing sex‑based definitions in school sports and facilities.
Governor Morrisey, who sued the Biden administration during his tenure as Attorney General, said West Virginia played a central role in the legal fight.
“I fought the Biden administration’s rewrite of Title IX as Attorney General because it threatened the rights, privacy, and opportunities of women and girls. We took them to court to stop their rule from taking effect in West Virginia, and we won,” Morrisey said.
He praised President Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon for reversing the policy.
“Today, President Trump and Secretary McMahon are finishing the job by wiping the Biden rule from the books and restoring Title IX to what Congress intended. This is a major victory for women and girls, for parents, and for common sense,” Morrisey said.
Nationally, the reinstatement of the 2020 regulations is expected to shift how schools handle athletics eligibility, bathroom and locker‑room access, and discrimination complaints. Supporters say the move protects competitive fairness and privacy for female athletes. Critics argue it restricts transgender students’ rights and may prompt further legal challenges.
Morrisey said the original intent of Title IX should remain intact.
“Title IX changed America by opening doors for generations of women and girls. We should be protecting that legacy, not rewriting the law to satisfy a radical political agenda,” he said. “Women deserve fair competition. Girls deserve privacy and safety. And parents deserve to know that the law will protect their daughters.”
He added that West Virginia’s legal efforts helped shape the national outcome.
“I’m proud that West Virginia helped lead this fight, and I’m grateful to President Trump and Secretary McMahon for standing firm. We fought this battle for years, and today common sense prevailed.”
Federal officials say updated compliance guidance will be issued to schools in the coming weeks.
