In lockstep with the priorities of the Republican governor who appointed them, the Florida state Board of Education on Wednesday approved new training for school staff on how to choose books; signed off on the position that federal protections don’t extend to transgender students; and heard from the state’s college presidents, who promised enthusiastic compliance with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “anti-woke” curriculum mandate.
Meeting in Nassau County, the Board unanimously passed a motion “affirming and adopting” Education Commissioner Manny Diaz’s position that federal Title IX protections do not apply to transgender students. Title IX bans sex-based discrimination in schools.
The Biden administration proposed a federal rule change to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity under Title IX last summer, and Diaz submitted a comment opposing that change. The question of whether the federal law extends to transgender students continues to be litigated, including a federal court ruling last month that said the St. Johns County school district was not required to allow a transgender student to use the bathroom that aligned with his gender identity.
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