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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Meghan Groob

(202) 417-7547

dcmedia@aclu.org
 

New Department of Education Guidance Offers Clear Protections to Transgender Students

WASHINGTON

In a guidance document released today, the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education has, for the first time, explicitly made clear that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

"This guidance is crystal clear and leaves no room for uncertainty on the part of schools regarding their legal obligation to protect transgender students from discrimination," said Ian Thompson, ACLU legislative representative. "The Office for Civil Rights must now take the next step and issue comprehensive guidance on Title IX and transgender students."

The guidance released today builds on numerous court decisions and a landmark ruling from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission establishing that transgender people are protected under existing prohibitions on sex discrimination.

The guidance document can be viewed here:

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-201404-title-ix.pdf

The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

(212) 549-2666