Court blocks Title IX change in South Carolina for now, AG Wilson says

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) — A U.S. Appeals Court has granted South Carolina’s request for an injunction, temporarily blocking the Biden administration’s Title IX rule change from going into effect in the state, according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

Alabama, Florida, and Georgia are also included in the administrative injunction granted by the 11 Circuit Court.

The new rule – slated to be enacted Aug. 1 – expands the existing Title IX to include protections accommodating students’ and teachers’ sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This is a big win in our fight to protect children,” said Attorney General Wilson. “We’ve argued that the Biden administration does not have the authority to make this change, and with this temporary injunction, we now have time to make our case in court without our children being put in danger.”

The complaint, filed jointly with attorneys general in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and several advocacy groups, claims that the revised regulations will “force” students and teachers to use a person’s “preferred pronouns” or potentially face punishment.

The ruling comes after a federal judge in Kansas blocked the new regulations from taking effect in some South Carolina schools.