Statement: Students & Advocates Condemn Recodification of Trump’s Title IX Rules

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education formally rescinded the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule and reinstated the Trump administration’s 2020  rule—stripping away expanded civil rights protections for survivors of sexual violence, LGBTQ+ students, and pregnant and parenting students.

In response, Emma Grasso Levine, Senior Manager of Title IX Policy and Programs at Know Your IX, a survivor- and youth-led project of Advocates for Youth, issued the following statement:

“While unsurprising, the Trump administration’s move to recodify its 2020 Title IX rule sends a clear and dangerous message to students across the country: that young people do not deserve strong civil rights protections. Coming during the ‘Red Zone’—the period at the start of the academic year when campus sexual violence spikes—this decision not only strips critical support from survivors, it continues to weaponize Title IX to attack transgender students under the guise of ‘protecting women and girls.”

Reinstating these rules fuels a systemic culture of unchecked sexual violence and discrimination on campuses and will make it even harder for survivors to access the safety, resources, and accountability they need. Without civil rights enforcement from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, student survivors, LGBTQ+ youth, and pregnant and parenting students are left with fewer places to turn for justice. We condemn this rule and recommit to organizing for safe, supportive environments where all students can thrive.” 

Advocates’ staff and student organizers are available for interviews about the Trump administration’s Title IX recodification and the landscape of Title IX and sex-based harassment on campuses.

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe.