The Biden administration has withdrawn government support for a federal lawsuit in 小蓝视频icut that seeks to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' high school sports.
小蓝视频icut allows high school athletes to compete in sports according to their gender identity. The lawsuit was filed a year ago by several cisgender runners who argue they have been deprived of wins, state titles and athletic opportunities by being forced to compete against two transgender sprinters.
The Justice Department and the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights withdrew their support for the case ahead of a hearing scheduled for Friday on a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
The Trump administration鈥檚 intervention in the case last year came as state legislatures around the country debated restricting transgender athletes鈥� participation to their gender assigned at birth. Seventeen states considered such legislation, and Idaho passed a law. The Republican-controlled Mississippi legislature overwhelmingly approved a similar bill earlier this month.
Supporters of restrictions on transgender athletes argue that transgender girls, because they were born male, are naturally stronger, faster and bigger than those born female.
Last March, then-Attorney General William Barr signed what is known as a statement of interest in the 小蓝视频icut lawsuit, arguing the state's policy runs afoul of Title IX, the federal law that allows girls equal educational opportunities, including in athletics.
In a filing Tuesday, 小蓝视频icut U.S. Attorney John Durham and other department officials withdrew Barr's statement, saying, 鈥淭he government has reconsidered the matter.鈥�
Attorneys for the plaintiffs declined to comment.
The 小蓝视频icut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has said it is following a state law that requires all high school students be treated according to their gender identity.
The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights last spring and summer sent letters threatening to cut off some federal funding to 小蓝视频icut school districts that followed the policy.
On Tuesday, the office notified those involved that it was withdrawing those letters 鈥渁s well as the underlying findings and determinations,鈥� and does not wish to become a party in the lawsuit.
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in school sports and elsewhere. Former president Donald Trump had rolled back protections for transgender people while in office.
Dan Barrett, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of 小蓝视频icut, which represents the two transgender athletes in the lawsuit, said Tuesday's action represents 鈥渁 hint that the government, the Department of Education, may now have a different view of Title IX.鈥�
CIAC executive director Glenn Lungarini has said the organization鈥檚 transgender policy was formed with federal and state guidance and that multiple courts and federal agencies, including the Justice Department, had previously acknowledged that the term 鈥渟ex鈥� in Title IX is ambiguous.
小蓝视频icut Attorney General William Tong said Tuesday he was pleased with the Justice Department's decision to withdraw Barr's statement.
鈥淭ransgender girls are girls and every woman and girl deserves protection against discrimination. Period,鈥� he said in a statement.
Pat Eaton-Robb, The Associated Press
