Court halts Title IX change in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S..C. (WSPA) — The Title IX change meant to accommodate students and teachers’ “gender identity” took effect on Thursday across the country except in a few southern states.

Attorney General Alan Wilson said Title IX is blocked from taking effect in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. The change requires any school receiving federal funding to accommodate students’ and teachers’ “gender identity.”

If eventually passed in the state, Title IX would allow biological males who identify as female to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms and vice versa. The pause comes as questions arise about the law.

“What the attorney general’s office is saying is that the Biden administration does not have the authority to extend Title IX to locker rooms and bathrooms and things like that, said Brandi Hinton, a law partner with Ellis and Hinton Law. “The definition of the sex of a person is not what was contemplated under title IX.”

Students and teachers would also be required to use preferred pronouns.

“I am religious,” a Greenville resident said. “I love Jesus, and that’s just how I have always been brought up. Adam and Eve came separately, and that’s just how I feel.”

“If you have an open conversation with your teachers and you feel you are something that is different than what you appear to be then that is fine,” a woman visiting from Maryland added.

Attorney General Wilson said the pause is “a big win in our fight to protect children.”

Some in South Carolina say they agree.

“I believe they are trying to feed things into our kids that shouldn’t be like that,” Manuel Peralta said. “Our kids should have their own opinion and be brought up as God made us. You are a guy or a girl.”

Others say if changes to Title IX take effect it would be fine but with certain restrictions.

“If they use the same bathroom, there should be no urinals for the girls to come in and see,” Deb Cook said. “If it is all behind closed doors, I think it is fine.”

With uncertainty of what’s to come, many said they are left with mixed emotions and questions.

“There’s lots of questions, an Ohio woman said. “What’s wrong with what we have is my question. What’s wrong with what we have?”

The next step for the attorney general’s office is to apply for another injunction pending appeal, pausing Title IX from passing for even longer. That would have to be done within the next week.

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