Attorney General Ken Paxton today praised the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for denying a motion seeking to enjoin the U.S. Department of Education’s new rule concerning Title IX, which seeks to protect students from actual harassment while upholding free speech and fair process. The order agrees with an amicus brief led by Texas and signed by 15 states in defense of protecting students’ constitutional rights.  

“Without the proper safeguards, many academic institutions have unlawfully trampled due process and deprived students of their constitutional rights to free speech and fair trial. In contrast, the Department of Education’s rules correctly provide protection for individual rights where previous regulations and guidance failed, while ensuring that institutions have appropriate tools to address acts of sexual harassment,” said Attorney General Paxton. “As the Supreme Court has long recognized, students subject to disciplinary proceedings are entitled to due process, and the Constitution applies to every American.”  

Read a copy of the order here.