West Virginia AG Leads Coalition to Defeat Federal Title IX Changes

CHARLESTON: West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is feeling pretty good after a recent court win. He’s part of a coalition from six states that took on the federal Department of Education over changes to Title IX. Morrisey believes these changes could really hurt students and schools in West Virginia.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky sided with the coalition, rejecting the Education Department’s request to dismiss the case. Morrisey called it a win for common sense and student safety. He pointed out that the Biden administration’s revisions could have stripped away protections for biological women in education.

If the changes had gone through, West Virginia schools might have had to let boys who identify as girls use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. They could have also played on girls’ sports teams, which would have been a big deal. The coalition, which includes Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia, filed the lawsuit back in April 2024.

For 50 years, Title IX has been crucial in ensuring women have equal access to education. Morrisey emphasized that while it’s important to protect rights, there are still physical differences between men and women that justify separate spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms.