Arkansas, Missouri leading muti-state lawsuit against federal government over Title IX rule changes
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Tuesday that Arkansas is filing a suit against the federal government’s proposed Title IX rule changes, just days after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order opposing the changes.
In a news conference Tuesday morning, Griffin was joined by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to discuss the lawsuit they were filing in partnership with Arkansas high school athlete Amelia Ford.
Griffin said while there have not been any confirmed instances of a biological boy trying to compete in girls’ sports in Arkansas, the state was filing the suit as a preventative measure.
The attorney general said that all too often, things happening on the East and West Coast make their way back to the South and referenced a recent track meet in New York where a male athlete was allowed to run with the female team.
“We have no obligation to sit around and wait until the examples pile up,” Griffin said in Tuesday’s news conference. “The idea that this isn’t going to happen here because it hadn’t happened yet… I don’t buy it.”
The recent changes to Title IX protections ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The 1972 law was originally passed to address discrimination against women in school settings and has been credited with opening up more opportunities for women, especially in athletics.
KARK 4 News reached out to multiple organizations focused on transgender communities and were not able to secure an interview, but did receive a statement from the ACLU of Arkansas in response to the lawsuit:
“The ACLU of Arkansas stands firm in its commitment to full and safe participation for all students in educational and athletic activities. This lawsuit challenging recent Title IX updates misrepresents these necessary changes, which ensure educational equity regardless of gender identity and strengthen protections for all students by fostering inclusivity. Allegations that they compromise the safety and opportunities of women and girls lack evidence. Our state’s elected officials should prioritize addressing Arkansas’ genuine challenges, including enhancing education quality, expanding healthcare access, and driving economic development, rather than wasting time on imaginary issues and political posturing. We will continue defending all students’ rights under Title IX and expect the courts to maintain these critical protections.”
ACLU of Arkansas
In addition to Missouri, Arkansas is being joined by Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota in the lawsuit.
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