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South Carolina Attorney General Addresses Title IX Changes

New ruling “does affect some South Carolina schools.”

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Earlier this month, our media outlet reported on a major ruling at the U.S. district court level in Kansas regarding president Joe Biden‘s ongoing crusade to erode women’s rights by redefining Title IX.

Title IX (.pdf) – adopted in 1972 – outlaws discrimination on the basis of sex at any academic institution or within any education program which receives federal funding. Biden’s administration has sought to redefine the law to include protections for men who identify as women – thereby inviting a wave of institutional discrimination against biological women.

Under Biden’s proposed rule changes, biological male athletes would be granted access to female dressing rooms and restrooms – and the use of “preferred pronouns” would be made compulsory.

On July 2, 2024, U.S. district court judge John W. Broomes issued a ruling which blocked the government from enforcing this rule – arguing it lacked “authority to expand sex to mean gender identity.”

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RELATED | JUDGE STRIKES DOWN BIDEN’S ASSAULT ON TITLE IX

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In his ruling granting plaintiffs’ request for a temporary injunction (.pdf), Broomes concluded Biden’s “interpretation of sex and discrimination” was “contrary to the statute and historical context of Title IX.”

“(The administration’s) reinterpretation of Title IX to place gender identity on equal footing with – or in some instances arguably stronger footing than – biological sex would subvert Congress’ goals of protecting biological women in education,” Broomes wrote. “The (new rule) would, among other things, require schools to subordinate the fears, concerns, and privacy interests of biological women to the desires of transgender biological men to shower, dress, and share restroom facilities with their female peers.”

Broomes’ ruling also determined the rule “violates the First Amendment by chilling speech through vague and overbroad language.”

While Broomes’ ruling technically only applied to four states, one of the Palmetto State’s leading parental rights’ advocates – Carly Carter of Anderson County – astutely noted it also applied to all members of the plaintiff organizations which filed the suit, including Moms for Liberty

“Any child who has a parent who is a member of Moms for Liberty will be protected from these changes,” Carter said.

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On Wednesday (July 17, 2024), S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson agreed … and least in part.

“Although South Carolina is not a party to this suit the ruling does affect some South Carolina schools,” Wilson’s office noted in a statement.

Wilson’s statement referenced a court filing (.pdf) tied to the Kansas case. That filing listed the following six schools in the Palmetto State as being subject to Broomes’ ruling:

  • Porter-Gaud School (Charleston, S.C.)
  • Easley High (Easley, S.C.)
  • Myrtle Beach High (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
  • Woodmont High (Piedmont, S.C.)
  • John Paul II Catholic School (Ridgeland, S.C.)
  • Spartanburg Christian Academy (Spartanburg, S.C.)

The ruling also applies to the following colleges and universities in South Carolina …

  • Bob Jones University
  • Charleston Southern University
  • Clemson University
  • Coastal Carolina University
  • Columbia International University
  • Erskine College
  • Furman University
  • Greenville Technical College
  • Horry-Georgetown Technical College
  • North Greenville University
  • Piedmont Technical College
  • South Carolina State University
  • The Citadel
  • Trident Technical College
  • University of South Carolina – Columbia

According to Wilson, the schools listed in the ruling are enjoined from “implementing, enacting, enforcing, or taking any action to enforce” Biden’s Title IX rule change “until further notice.”

“The Biden administration has asked a court to pause portions of that ruling and let the Title IX Rule go into effect while the case goes up on appeal, but no further decision has been made yet on that request,” Wilson’s office noted.

Biden’s rule is scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2024, however rulings like Broomes’ have prevented it from being enforced in Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Wilson’s office filed a separate lawsuit in April on this same rule, and promised to “provide an update on the Title IX Rule case involving South Carolina when a decision is made by that court.”

Why aren’t more Palmetto State schools included on the list? That’s a good question …

Count on this media outlet to continue digging …

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THE FILING …

(U.S. District Court)

This is a breaking news story based on the latest information available. Stay with FITSNews for updates …

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Travis Bell Photography)

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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