NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Tennessee Attorney General (AG) held a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the steps of the John Seiver Building in Nashville to discuss Tennessee’s fight to defend Title IX.
In the press conference, Skrmetti’s office said they led six states in suing the federal Department of Education to challenge its “dangerous overhaul” of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act.
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive funding from the federal government.
“The U.S. Department of Education has no authority to let boys into girls’ locker rooms,” Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti said in a statement. “In the decades since its adoption, Title IX has been universally understood to protect the privacy and safety of women in private spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms. Under this radical and illegal attempt to rewrite the statute, if a man enters a woman’s locker room and a woman complains that makes her uncomfortable, the woman will be subject to investigation and penalties for violating the man’s civil rights. Federal bureaucrats have no power to rewrite laws passed by the people’s elected representatives, and I expect the courts will put a stop to this unconstitutional power grab.”
Gov. Bill Lee responded to the AG’s announcement:
“Tennessee will always protect women and children from federal overreach. Our state has consistently pushed back on the Biden administration’s damaging federal policies that stand in opposition to years of progress made under Title IX, and we will continue to do so.”
Tennessee will always protect women and children from federal overreach.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 30, 2024
Our state has consistently pushed back on the Biden administration’s damaging federal policies that stand in opposition to years of progress made under Title IX, and we will continue to do so. https://t.co/youfOzQyrv
In response to the TN AG’s office’s decision to sue the Department of Education, the Tennessee Equality Project gave the following statement:
“We applaud the release of federal regulations that make schools safer for LGBTQ students, those who have experienced sexual assault and harassment, and pregnant students. We do not understand why our Attorney General is defending barriers to education and old prejudices. People of good will across the state join us in being excited about the potential for public policy to protect all students in Tennessee.”
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