The Trump administration has formally removed federal regulations that explicitly protected LGBTQ+ students from sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. The action by the Department of Education closes the door on a Biden-era rule that expanded federal civil rights interpretations to explicitly shield students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The regulatory shift formally reinstates the Title IX rules published during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. While a federal judge had already vacated the Biden administration’s 2024 rule nationwide in January 2025—leading the department to enforce the 2020 framework in practice—the administration’s latest move officially wipes the expanded language from the federal code.
The reversal carries significant weight for advocates and students who viewed the 2024 provisions as a critical safeguard against discrimination, harassment, and mistreatment in schools. The Biden-era regulation had explicitly clarified that Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination applied to sexual orientation and gender identity while also strengthening protections for pregnant and parenting students and those suffering sex-based harassment.
Advocates warned that reverting to the previous regulations undermines student safety and civil rights protections across public schools and universities.
“This has weakened protections for all students, especially trans students, women and girls, and those who experience sexual harassment or sexual assault,” says Cathy Renna, communications director at the National LGBTQ Task Force.
Defending the decision, federal officials stated that erasing the Biden-era provisions resolves lingering regulatory friction following prior court rulings. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the administration’s action would make the published rules consistent with court orders and reduce confusion for families and schools.
The reinstated 2020 rules, originally crafted under former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, fundamentally alter how institutions address reports of sexual misconduct. Under this restored framework, schools face a narrower definition of sexual harassment that triggers a Title IX response, alongside procedural mandates that grant additional protections to students accused of misconduct, including live cross-examination hearings in higher education cases.
The regulatory rollout comes amid a broader white-hot political focus by the administration targeting transgender athletics. Secretary McMahon has repeatedly framed the department’s enforcement of Title IX as a defense of athletic opportunities for women and girls. Although neither the 2024 Biden rules nor the newly restored 2020 guidelines explicitly set rules regarding sports eligibility, the Trump administration continues to push separate executive actions and investigations to restrict transgender female athletes from competing in female sports categories.
Despite the regulatory change, legal experts note that students retain foundational statutory protections under the original Title IX statute passed by Congress in 1972, and individual schools and states, retain the authority to enforce localized policies protecting LGBTQ+ students and survivors of sexual misconduct.
