A.C. : “Female Athlete Joins Title IX Lawsuit”

A federal district court in Kentucky has granted a motion to allow a high school athlete from West Virginia, known as “A.C.,” along with Christian Educators International, an association of teachers, to join a lawsuit against the Biden administration regarding its recent efforts to revise Title IX. Title IX is a federal law aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for students in education and sports. The new rules proposed by the Biden Administration seek to expand protections to include discrimination based on “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” “sex stereotypes,” and “sex characteristics,” a move that has raised concerns about the impact on women’s sports.

Recently, six states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, filed a lawsuit, State of Tennessee v. Cardona, challenging the administration’s attempt to redefine “sex” in federal law to encompass “gender identity.” Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), representing A.C. and Christian Educators, highlighted instances where A.C. lost opportunities to a male student on her track team and faced inappropriate comments from the same student. Christian Educators also expressed concerns about threats to their free speech and their access to sex-specific facilities like bathrooms.

According to ADF, A.C. is a 15-year-old girl from West Virginia who was compelled to compete against a male athlete in track and field events, resulting in her losing the chance to compete in a conference championship. She had to share the girls’ locker room with the male athlete and endure offensive remarks directed at her. The male athlete has reportedly defeated female competitors over 600 times, impacting their rankings.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman expressed support for A.C., stating, “No one should be forced to endure the humiliation this young woman faced in the locker room.” ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Rouleau raised concerns about the implications of the Biden Administration’s proposed changes to Title IX, emphasising the potential impact on young girls’ privacy, safety, and fair competition in sports.

Attorneys noted that Tennessee and Kentucky have state laws safeguarding the privacy and free speech of teachers associated with Christian Educators. However, these state laws could be overridden by the new Title IX regulations proposed by the administration. The federal court in Covington is allowing A.C. and Christian educators to challenge these rules before they take effect on August 1.

Rouleau emphasised the importance of upholding safety and fairness for those affected by the administration’s alterations to Title IX. ADF attorneys have filed a motion to intervene with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in State of Tennessee v. Cardona.