Tallahassee, Florida. – Federal guidelines aimed at preventing discrimination against students, such as based on gender identity, state that Title IX “significantly expands its application.” Florida Board of Education Manny Diaz Jr. I told school officials on Thursday to ignore the guidelines.
Title IX is federal law It was enacted over 50 years ago to ban gender discrimination in educational institutions. Last month, the US Department of Education announced a proposal to “make clearer about the scope” of sexism.
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The guidelines will extend legal protection and include the school’s “duty not to discriminate on the basis of sexual stereotypes, sexual characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”
Diaz had problems interpreting Title IX, including sexual orientation and gender identity. He told school boards, private school owners, and charter school steering committees Thursday that guidance documents from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were “not binding laws.” Sent a letter asking him to refuse the change. Their practice.
Similarly, the US Department of Agriculture, which is involved in school lunch programs, announced in May that it would begin interpreting Title IX, “Include Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.”
Diaz warned that the school would create specific accommodation for transgender students.
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“Specifically, for example, these guidance documents do not require a biological man identified as a woman to have access to a woman’s bathroom, locker room, or dormitory. Assigning a biological man identified as a woman on a trip to a woman’s room, or allowing a biological man identified as a woman to compete in a women’s sports team, “writes Diaz. ..
But in a news release last month, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said some of the guidelines were “all students in the United States, no matter where they live, who they are or who they love. Guarantee that you can learn, grow and prosper. ” at school.
Diaz’s letter was an extension of Governor Ron DeSantis’ efforts to ban what he called the “awakened gender ideology” from the classroom.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the governor suggested that school systems in other states included guidance that encouraged students to ask their gender.
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“And basically, this is for elementary school students,” well, you might have been born as a boy, that’s what you said, but you’re really a girl, “as you tell them. You will be instructed. That’s wrong. It’s not in school. So that’s happening in our country. Anyone who tells you that it’s not happening is lying to you, “DeSantis said during his appearance in Tampa.
This year, DeSantis signed a controversial bill that limits teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. The bill, which critics ridiculed as a “not gay” bill, posed a challenge in federal court.
In 2021, DeSantis also signed a law prohibiting transgender female athletes from competing with high school girls in college women’s sports teams.
Diaz’s letter also aimed at Florida’s Department of Agriculture and consumer services, accusing it of communicating with schools and “suggesting that it should follow” US Department of Agriculture guidance.
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The State Department is headed by Democratic Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried, who runs for governor this year and frequently clashes with DeSantis.
Diaz also told schools to ignore what was characterized as a “suggestion” from the state’s agricultural sector to post an “And Justice for All” poster showing participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services program. Advised.
According to the Federal Agricultural Agency, posters are “the primary method used to notify customers of their right to view relevant information” related to federal assistance programs.
Florida news services sought comment from the US Department of Education and the State Department of Agriculture on Thursday, but did not respond immediately.
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