U.S. Education Department withdraws Title IX agreements regarding gender identity with schools

April 7, 2026

Department of Education Rescinds Gender Identity Settlement Agreements

The U.S. Department of Education has officially revoked prior settlement agreements with various school districts and universities regarding Title IX interpretations related to gender identity.

On Monday, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced this decision, contending that earlier agreements—often mandating the use of specific pronouns and access to bathrooms—were based on “ideologically-based” interpretations of Title IX that were unlawful.

This shift means that the federal government is undoing agreements that had previously regulated gender identity protocols at Taft University and five other school districts across the nation. It suggests a return to a literal interpretation of the 1972 law aimed at preventing sex discrimination in federally funded education.

Under the Trump administration, there’s been a shift in focus. The Department now argues that Title IX should be applied strictly to biological sex, moving away from the broader applications related to preferred or imagined gender identities that had been adopted by previous Democratic administrations.

Kimberly Ritchie, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights under Education Secretary Linda McMahon, criticized the earlier enforcement strategy as a “heavy-handed manipulation” of federal law. She emphasized that the current administration is intent on lifting what they see as unlawful burdens on schools.

“Today, the Trump Administration is removing unnecessary and unlawful burdens that the previous administration placed on schools in its relentless pursuit of radical transgender issues,” she stated.

This policy change follows a significant federal court ruling from January 2025, which invalidated the 2024 Title IX regulations, allowing the Department to revert to 2020 standards that concentrate on biological definitions.

In contrast, left-leaning civil rights groups, including the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), have criticized this action as detrimental to the dignity and safety of transgender and non-binary students, arguing it implies that their protections are now optional.

Ironic, isn’t it? NWLC initially focused on advocating for rights that benefited biological women and fought against physical barriers. However, in recent years, they seem to have shifted to a “third wave” feminist perspective, sparking criticism that it favors biological men with gender dysphoria over the rights of biological women. This seems to echo a larger leftist movement advocating for “gender justice,” which includes men identifying as transgender women and non-binary individuals.

“This is part of the Trump administration’s attack on education and on those most vulnerable to discrimination and harassment, including trans students,” stated Shiwali Patel, the senior director of education justice at NWLC.

While some districts, like the Sacramento Unified District, insist they will keep local protections despite federal changes, others are already beginning to dismantle their gender identity policies in light of the federal government’s new direction.

The Department of Education has signaled that it will now redirect research efforts to safeguard women’s sports and ensure that sensitive spaces like women’s locker rooms and restrooms are maintained based on biological sex.