Sarasota school board to hear resolution rejecting new Title IX guidelines

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — The fight over the new Title IX standards will come to a head in Sarasota on Tuesday, as embattled School Board of Sarasota County member Bridget Ziegler plans to introduce a resolution at Tuesday night’s board meeting rejecting the federal government’s new Title IX guidelines.

Last month, the Department of Education issued the new guidance, which expands Title IX protections to transgender students, among other changes. Less than one week later, Governor Ron DeSantis said Florida would not comply with the new rules.

“Florida rejects Joe Biden’s attempt to rewrite Title IX,” Governor DeSantis said in a video posted to social platform X. “We will not comply and we will fight back. We are not going to let Joe Biden try to inject men into women’s activities.”

Ziegler’s resolution said only biological sex should be protected, not gender identity. If it succeeds tonight, it could mean renewed strength for the governor’s legislation, which some say targets the LGBTQ+ community.

“We are not going to let Joe Biden undermine the rights of parents,” the governor continued in his video. “We are not going to let Joe Biden abuse his constitutional authority to try to impose these policies on us here in Florida.”

However, if the board does reject the Title IX rules, it could threaten the funding the district receives from the federal government.

In a statement, the Social Equity through Education Alliance said it and other advocacy groups would be at the board meeting, totaling hundreds of people.

“There is no reason for our school district to threaten our funding and take on unnecessary legal risk by getting involved in a fight between the federal and state government,” said Executive Director Zander Moricz in a statement. “We need this board to focus on the academic and emotional well-being of all of our students every day. It’s time for this board to start prioritizing academics over politics.”

The Alliance said the district is risking losing nearly $107 million in federal funding for Sarasota’s most vulnerable students.

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