LINCOLN-- Attorney General Hilgers joined a coalition of six state attorneys general filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against the U.S. Department of Education over its new rule interpreting Title IX.

“Title IX has a long history of protecting women from harassment and creating opportunities for female athletes. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration thinks it can take away privacy and opportunities from women,” stated Attorney General Mike Hilgers. “We are proud to stand with our sister states in filing this suit to stop the Administration's unlawful rewriting of Title IX, which will only serve to harm women and weaken the rule of law.”

Congress enacted Title IX more than 50 years ago to protect and promote opportunities for women and girls in education and sports. President Biden and his Department of Education are now radically reinterpreting Title IX and recasting it as a rule about gender identity. 

The rule being challenged requires schools and universities to allow men onto women’s and girls’ sports teams—keeping young female athletes from opportunities. The rule forces schools and universities to allow men into women’s and girls’ locker rooms, restrooms, and shower facilities. It also compels teachers, administrators, and even fellow students to use an individual’s preferred pronouns, subjecting anyone who disagrees with President Biden’s view of sex to investigation and possible sanction.  

Attorney General Hilgers joined attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the lawsuit.