Category: Office for Civil Rights

Following Wave of Violent Incidents by Transgender Activists, 72 Organizations and 34 State Lawmakers Call on DOE to Abandon Title IX Plan

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date May 10, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Following Wave of Violent Incidents by Transgender Activists, 72 Organizations and 34 State Lawmakers Call on DOE to Abandon Title IX Plan

May 10, 2023 – In a coalition letter sent today to Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of the Department of Education, 72 organizations and 34 state lawmakers, have expressed their deep concerns with the upswing in incidents of violence by transgender activists.

On June 23, 2022 the U.S. Department of Education issued a draft Title IX regulation that redefines “sex” to include “gender identity.” (1) This proposal served to activate and embolden the transgender rights movement, leading to a growing number of violent incidents around the country. Following are examples of such incidents in recent weeks:

April 6, San Francisco, CA: Following a speech by former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, a group of activists began to chant, “Trans rights are human rights.” They chased Gaines down a hallway, hitting her on the head, and forcing her to seek safety in a room. To secure her release, the activists demanded that Riley pay each of them a $10 “ransom.” (2)
April 23, Ft. Worth, TX: Three Antifa members were arrested on multiple charges, including assault of a police officer. They were arrested after attacking a peaceful protest outside a local restaurant where a drag queen show was taking place. Two out of the three Antifa members were transgender (3).
May 8, Kent, OH: Kent State College Republicans announced it would be holding a screening of the film, “What is a Woman?” In response, transgender activists made veiled threats, saying that they were undeterred by police investigations. The dispute culminated in a confrontation in which an activist forcibly tore a sign from the hands of a KSCR member (4).

A complete list of Incidents can be seen online (5).

The 72 organizations and 34 state lawmakers who signed the coalition letter urge the Department of Education to immediately abandon its plan to release a new Title IX regulation. Today’s letter to the Department of Education is available online (6).

All 72 organizations are members of the Title IX Network, the umbrella group that is leading the national effort to stop the Department of Education’s Title IX plan (7).

Links:

Campus Department of Education Free Speech Law Enforcement Office for Civil Rights Press Release Title IX Violence

Police Must Act Now to Stop Growing Wave of Violence by Transgender Activists

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date April 20, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

Police Must Act Now to Stop Growing Wave of Violence by Transgender Activists

WASHINGTON / April 20, 2023 – Last June the Department of Education issued a proposal to expand the definition of “sex” to include “gender identity” (1), a move that served to strengthen and embolden the transgender rights movement. That same month, the Trans Resistance Network began to tweet a series of inflammatory messages, for example making the claim that “Disarming trans people is a preparation for genocide.” (2)

Not surprisingly, a growing number of incidents of harassment and free speech violations by transgender activists were seen during subsequent months. On March 9, for example, a group of activists at Stanford University repeatedly interrupted the comments of Judge Stuart Duncan, forcing him to curtail his presentation. Previously, Duncan had denied the request of Norman Varner, convicted of child exploitation, to change his sex and be referred to by a female name (3).

Some of these incidents escalated into credible threats of violence, or actual violence.

Best known is the shooting of three staff members and three students at Covenant School in Nashville on March 27. The shooter, Audrey Hale, self-identified as transgender (4).

The Nashville tragedy is one of numerous other violent incidents in the past six months. This number has escalated dramatically since early March:

October 26, 2022, Tacoma, WA
November 14, New York City
February 28, 2023, Oklahoma City
March 10, Sacramento
March 29, Nashville
March 29, Richmond, VA
March 29, San Francisco
March 31, Colorado Springs
April 6, San Francisco State University

The most recent April 6 incident followed a talk by NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, where she was chased down a hallway, repeatedly hit on the head, and forced to seek safety in a classroom for three hours (5).

In some cases, law enforcement took little action to halt the violence. SAVE calls on law enforcement and campus security personnel to act decisively to stop the wave of violence by transgender activists. SAVE also calls on lawmakers to support these efforts.

More information about these incidents is available on the SAVE website (6).

Links:

Campus Department of Education Due Process Free Speech Law Enforcement Office for Civil Rights Sexual Assault Title IX

String of Transgender Incidents Reveal Threats of Biden Title IX Plan

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date April 11, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

String of Transgender Incidents Reveal Threats of Biden Title IX Plan

WASHINGTON / April 11, 2023 – Three recent incidents reveal the growing lawlessness of the national transgender movement. The newfound prominence of transgenderism can be traced to the Title IX proposal released last June by the Biden Department of Education (1). Following are the three incidents:

March 9, Stanford University: Judge Stuart Duncan was invited to give a talk to students at the Stanford Law School. But a group of students with signs that read, “Trans Lives Matter” repeatedly interrupted his comments, forcing him to cut short his presentation.
The students were protesting the fact that in 2015, Duncan had denied the request of Norman Varner, previously convicted of child exploitation, to change his sex and be referred to by a female name (2). Stanford University later issued an apology (3).
March 27, Nashville: Armed with a rifle, pistol, and handgun, Audrey Hale rushed into Covenant School and fired 152 shots, killing three staff members and three students. Hale had self-identified as transgender (4).
April 6, San Francisco State University: Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines gave a speech at the San Francisco State University to explain her opposition to the participation of biological males in women’s sports. In response, a group of activists began to frantically chant, “Trans rights are human rights.” The activists chased Riley down a hallway, assaulting her repeatedly and forcing her to seek safety in a room. To secure her release, the activists demanded that Riley pay each of them a $10 “ransom.” (5)

The recent surge of transgender activism can be traced back to June 23, 2022 when the Biden Department of Education released its proposed Title IX regulation, the federal law that was designed to curb sex discrimination in schools. The Biden regulation seeks to change the definition of “sex” to include “gender identity,” a change that would bolster the prominence of the transgender movement in America.

Recent developments reveal other serious defects with the Biden proposal (6):

Parental Rights: On March 24, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Parents Bill of Rights, which would help protect against secretive school policies and overly-sexualized instructional content (7).
Due Process: Last week, a judge ruled against The College of New Jersey, citing a myriad of procedural irregularities and allowing its adjudicators to be influenced by external pressures to convict a student accused of sexual misconduct (8).
Free Speech: An article in the Washington Examiner revealed that a majority of U.S. universities have instituted anonymous “snitching” protocols for statements perceived to be biased (9).

To date, 210 organizational members of the Title IX Network have announced their opposition to the Biden Title IX plan (10). We urge the Department of Education to immediately abandon its plan to release a new Title IX regulation.

Links:

Tags Transgenderism

Bills Campus Department of Education Due Process Free Speech Investigations Office for Civil Rights

SAVE Commends Sen. John Kennedy for ‘Ensuring Fairness for Students Act’

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date April 4, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

SAVE Commends Sen. John Kennedy for ‘Ensuring Fairness for Students Act’

WASHINGTON / April 4, 2023 – Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana recently introduced the Ensuring Fairness for Students Act, a bill that is designed to codify due process protections in campus Title IX proceedings. In introducing the bill, Kennedy charged the Biden White House is seeking to “roll back fair proceedings on school campuses by making students guilty until proven innocent.” (1)

The bill would provide for a number of due process protections, such as assure that both parties are provided written notice of the allegations, require objective evaluation of the evidence, uphold the presumption of innocence, eliminate conflict of interest, and allow cross-examination.

Just three days after the Kennedy bill was introduced, a news account revealed the deplorable state of Title IX procedures on many campuses (2). The report highlighted the case of a former University of Maryland student who had been accused of sexual misconduct. Even after he was cleared of the charge, two students undertook a campaign to accuse him of being a rapist, causing him to be kicked off the university’s lacrosse team. Saying the university Title IX office failed to intervene to stop the defamation campaign, the lawsuit is seeking over $1 million in damages.

A recent national survey conducted by FIRE found that (3):

72% of universities failed to provide timely notice of allegations to students accused of wrongdoing.
60% of schools do not assure the presumption of innocence.
Only 15% of institutions guarantee that accusers and the accused could see the evidence being presented to fact-finders.

SAVE commends Senator Kennedy for introducing the bill, and encourages other members of Congress to take steps to support the bill’s prompt enactment into law.

The Ensuring Fairness for Students Act can be viewed online (4).

Links:

Campus Department of Education Due Process Free Speech Gender Agenda Gender Identity Office for Civil Rights Press Release Title IX

Republican Lawmakers Lead National Movement to Thwart the ‘Gender Agenda’

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date March 7, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

R. Stewart: 301-801-0608

Email: info@savesevices.org

Republican Lawmakers Lead National Movement to Thwart the ‘Gender Agenda’

WASHINGTON / March 8, 2023 – The “Gender Agenda” refers to the movement to promote gender transitioning, curtail parental rights, allow biological males to compete in women’s sports, curtail free speech, and diminish due process on college campuses. A major goal of the Gender Agenda is to overhaul the Title IX law to redefine sex to include “gender identity.”

Republican lawmakers across the country have been at the forefront of efforts to stop the Gender Agenda. Following is a listing of measures introduced thus far in Congress in 2023:

Greg Steube: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (H.R. 734) [1]
Marjorie Taylor Greene: Protect Children’s Innocence Act (H.R. 8731) [2]
Jeff Van Drew: My Choice, My Child Act of 2023 (H.R. 216) [3]
Julia Letlow: Parents Bill of Rights (H.R.5) [4]
Debbie Lesko: Parental Rights Amendment (H. J. Res 38) [5]
Jim Banks: Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act (H.R. 1276) [6]
Tim Scott: PROTECT Kids Act (S. 200) [7]
Tommy Tuberville: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023 (S. 613) [8]

In addition, Congressman Jim Banks is spearheading a new group called the House Anti-Woke Caucus, now with over 25 members [9.

The following state-level bills already have been enacted into law in 2023:

Tennessee: SB 0001 – Prohibits minors from receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and transgender surgeries [10]
Tennessee: HB 0009 – Outlaws drag shows in public spaces and restricts them to age-appropriate venues [11]
South Dakota: Help Not Harm Act (HB 1080) – Prohibits certain medical and surgical interventions on minor patients [12]
Mississippi: Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act (H.B. 1125) – Forbids any person to “knowingly provide gender transition procedures to any person under eighteen years of age” or “engage in conduct that aids or abets” such procedures. [13]

To date, SAVE has identified 82 bills in 28 states, including proposals that address Parental Rights (36 bills), Gender Transitioning (29 bills), and Women’s Sports (16 bills).

At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference held near Washington DC, SAVE sponsored a booth titled, “Stop the Gender Agenda.” [14] At the booth, 377 individuals signed a petition to Stop the Gender Agenda. Signers included the Lieutenant Governor of a southern state, a woman who transitioned to the male sex and later de-transitioned to being female, and other persons from Spain, Peru, Austria, Norway, Sweden, and Japan.

Links:

14. https://www.saveservices.org/2022-policy/network/

Bills Civil Rights Office for Civil Rights Title IX

Growing Wave of Bills Frustrate Biden Plan to Allow Biological Males to Compete in Women’s Sports

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date February 13, 2023

	Dating		Married
	Male %	Female %	Male %	Female %
Any physical violence	14.6	17.4	13.6	12.1
Severe physical violence	11.9	5.6	4.9	4.4

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

Growing Wave of Bills Frustrate Biden Plan to Allow Biological Males to Compete in Women’s Sports

WASHINGTON / February 14, 2023 – Surfer Bethany Hamilton is speaking out against the World Surf League’s newly announced policy that would allow biological males to compete against women in professional surfing events (1).

Hamilton’s comments spotlight the growing controversy arising from a Department of Education proposal, issued last June, to redefine the meaning of “sex” in the Title IX law to include “gender identity” (2). Such a change would impose a competitive disadvantage on biological females (3).

In response, a milestone court decision was handed down, and a series of proposed bills have been introduced at the federal and state levels that are designed to protect women’s sports.

On January 5, 2023, the Southern District Court of West Virginia ruled in favor of the Save Women’s Sports Bill, which defines “girl” and “woman” as biologically female for the purpose of secondary school sports (4).

In Congress, Rep. Greg Steube recently introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The bill, which now has 20 co-sponsors, would require that sex “be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” (5).

In 12 states, lawmakers recently have introduced bills designed to protect women’s sports:

Alaska: HB 27 (6)
Colorado: HB 23-1098 (7)
Connecticut: SB 468 (8)
Hawaii: HB 508/SB 1429 (9)
Kansas: HB 2238 (10)
Maryland: HB 359 (11)
Minnesota: HF 551 (12)
Missouri: SB 48 (13)
New Jersey: SB 589 (14)
North Dakota: HB 1249 (15) and HB 1489 (16)
Texas: HB 23 (17)
Virginia: HB 1387 (18)

Eighteen states previously enacted laws designed to ban biological males from competing in female sports: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia (19).

A SAVE opinion poll found that 71% of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports (20). SAVE urges lawmakers to discourage attempts the redefine “sex” and work to assure fairness in women’s sports (21).

Links:

Department of Education Gender Identity Legal Office for Civil Rights Title IX

Clandestine Gender Transitioning at California School Triggers Lawsuit, Call for Legislative Hearings

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date January 30, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

Clandestine Gender Transitioning at California School Triggers Lawsuit, Call for Legislative Hearings

WASHINGTON / January 30, 2023 – A lawsuit has been filed against a California school district for promoting the gender transitioning of an 11-year-old girl without parental knowledge. Many school districts across the nation have adopted similar policies that prevent parents from being informed about their own children changing their gender.

The lawsuit alleges the girl was seeing a counselor at Sierra View Elementary School in Chico, California for mental health issues. One day the girl told the counselor she felt “like a boy.” Subsequently, the school began to secretly transition the girl without parental knowledge or consent. Subsequently, the girl’s mental health began to deteriorate (1).

The girl later changed schools and reverted to her female identity. The lawsuit against the Chico Unified School District was filed earlier this month (2).

A recent report from the American Principles Project notes that transgenderism is marked by a “deadly and destructive combination of ideology, politics, and profits,” and reveals the global market value of sex reassignment surgery to be more than $316 million (3).

The unregulated growth of gender transitioning has resulted in a growing number of persons, known as “detransitioners,” who have decided to revert to their original sex (4).

Sixty-three leading organizations are now calling on Congress to “Conduct hearings on experimental medical practices involving gender transition of under-age children, e.g., puberty blocking drugs, opposite-sex hormones, breast removal, and castration.” (5)

In addition, state lawmakers are being called up to hold hearings to assess the science, ethics, and financial backing of gender transitioning of underage students. To date, federal courts in Florida, North Dakota, and Texas have ruled in favor of placing restrictions on underage gender transitioning surgery (6).

In June, the U.S. Department of Education proposed a new Title IX regulation that would redefine the meaning of “sex” to include “gender identity.” Such a change would serve to promote gender transitioning and have profound, long-lasting effects on child safety, the family structure, and parental rights (7).

Links:

Civil Rights Department of Education Domestic Violence Due Process Free Speech Office for Civil Rights Press Release Sex Education Sexual Harassment Title IX

63 Organizations Urge Congress to Halt the Weaponization of Title IX

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date January 25, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

63 Organizations Urge Congress to Halt the Weaponization of Title IX

WASHINGTON / January 26, 2023 – Sixty-three leading organizations today are calling on Congress to take strong measures to stop the proposed overhaul of Title IX, the law that was designed to curb sex discrimination in schools. On June 23, 2022 the Department of Education proposed a new Title IX regulation that would redefine the meaning of “sex,” limit free speech, and hobble due process protections (1).

The letter notes that Title IX activists also are seeking to “marginalize the role of parents, promote gender transitioning among minors, make a mockery of fairness in women’s sports, and curtail free speech and due process.”

The letter urges Congress to therefore undertake the following actions:

Pursuant to H. Res 12, SELECT SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, investigate how the U.S. Department of Education has collaborated with private sector and non-profit entities to alter the regulatory definitions of “sex” and “sexual harassment,” with the aim of changing the foundational legal definition of “sex” and infringing on First Amendment free speech rights.
Reduce the appropriations to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by $25 million.
Conduct hearings on experimental medical practices involving gender transition of under-age children, e.g., puberty blocking drugs, opposite-sex hormones, breast removal, and castration.
Vigorously oppose passage of the Students’ Access to Freedom and Educational Rights (SAFER) Act, introduced in December 2022.
Oppose legislation that seeks to expand definitions of “sexual harassment,” promote “trauma-informed” investigations, or seek to weaken free speech, due process, or the presumption of innocence.
Work for the passage of the following legislation:
1. Parents Bill of Rights Act
2. Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
3. Campus Free Speech Restoration Act
4. Campus Equality, Fairness, and Transparency Act

A SAVE public opinion poll reveals strong public support for these actions (2).

The 63 organizations are members of the Title IX Network (3). The letter to Congress can be viewed online (4).

Links:

Campus Department of Education Due Process Free Speech Office for Civil Rights Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment Title IX

29 Recent Judicial Decisions Thwart Biden ‘Gender Agenda’

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date January 18, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

29 Recent Judicial Decisions Thwart Biden ‘Gender Agenda’

WASHINGTON / January 18, 2023 – The Biden Administration has issued several policy documents that are designed to promote the so-called “gender agenda” (1). In particular, on June 23, 2022 the Department of Education proposed a new Title IX regulation that would redefine the meaning of “sex,” limit free speech, and hobble due process protections (2).

In response, over 200 organizations (3), numerous state Attorneys General (4), and dozens of federal and state lawmakers (4) have spoken out in strong opposition to the draft regulation.

Since June 23, 2022, seven judicial decisions have been issued that thwart the Biden Administration’s attempts to expand the definition of “sex,” curtail free speech, and promote gender transitioning:

State of Tennessee v. Department of Education, July 15, 2022: In response to a lawsuit by the Attorneys General of 20 states, the District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee granted a Preliminary Injunction against the Department of Education, blocking the DOE from implementing Biden’s Executive Order No. 13988, “Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.” (5)
Franciscan Alliance and Christian Medical and Dental Society v. Becerra, August 26, 2022: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, located in New Orleans, unanimously ruled that doctors must be free to practice medicine without compulsion to perform gender-transition procedures. (6)
Speech First v. Alexander Cartwright, September 23, 2022: The District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled against the University of Central Florida for three campus policies that served to suppress student speech. (7)
Neese v. Bercerra, October 14, 2022: The Northern District of Texas Court ruled that Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Title IX do not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The court set aside the contrary enforcement position taken by the Department of Health and Human Services. (8)
Religious Sisters of Mercy et al v. Becerra, December 9, 2022: The Eighth Circuit Court in North Dakota overturned a rule under the Affordable Care Act, Section 1557, that would require “gender-transition procedures” be covered by health insurance plans. (9)
Adams v. School Board of St. Johns County, December 30, 2022: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit reversed the decision of the District Court, and upheld the policy of the St. Johns County School District in Florida, which denied transgender students access to the bathrooms consistent with their gender identity. (10)
B.P.J. et al v. West Virginia State Board of Education, January 5, 2023: The Southern District Court of West Virginia ruled in favor of the “Save Women’s Sports Bill,” which defines “girl” and “woman” as biologically female for the purpose of secondary school sports. (11)

Since June 23, 2022, wrongfully accused students also have triumphed in 22 due process lawsuits against the following universities: University of California, University of Idaho Law School, Dartmouth College, Dordt University, SUNY-Purchase, Brown University (two lawsuits), Purdue University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Arizona, University of Southern Florida, Western Michigan University, Prairie View A & M University, UC-Davis, Marshall University, University of Chicago, University of Connecticut, Emory University, Texas Christian University, Stonehill College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Siena College. (12)

SAVE urges Congress to take necessary actions to discourage attempts by the Executive Branch to advance the gender agenda.

Links:

Campus Department of Education Due Process False Allegations Free Speech Gender Identity Office for Civil Rights Press Release Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment Title IX

A ‘Naked Assault on Civil Rights:’ Congress Must Stop Attempts to Hijack Title IX and Subvert the Constitution

Post author By Edward Bartlett
Post date January 12, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain: 513-479-3335

Email: info@saveservices.org

A ‘Naked Assault on Civil Rights:’ Congress Must Stop Attempts to Hijack Title IX and Subvert the Constitution

WASHINGTON / January 12, 2023 – Title IX is the 50-year-old law that was enacted to stop sex discrimination in schools. But now, groups are attempting to use Title IX to promote a sweeping unconstitutional agenda with harmful effects on students, families, and on society.

Recent months have witnessed three attempts to make far-reaching changes to Title IX:

In June, the Department of Education proposed a new Title IX regulation that would redefine the meaning of “sex,” muzzle free speech, and decimate due process (1).
In September, 19 Democratic senators denounced the presumption of innocence in Title IX proceedings (2). The senators also called for an end to cross-examination, facilely ignoring a landmark Supreme Court decision that described cross-examination as the “‘greatest legal engine ever invented for the discovery of truth.” (3)
In December, the Students’ Access to Freedom and Educational Rights (SAFER) Act was introduced in both chambers of Congress (4). The bill proposed to make sweeping changes to campus Title IX adjudication procedures — changes that are reminiscent of practices seen in the former Soviet Union (5).

The proposals would curtail constitutionally protected free speech and due process protections, eliminate fairness in women’s sports, promote gender transitioning among under-age students, marginalize the role of parents, and exact other harmful effects. Numerous lawmakers have spoken out in opposition to these proposed changes (6).

These changes recently were described by a leading policy organization as a “naked assault on civil rights.” (7)

In response to these and other worrisome developments, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed a multi-point Commitment to America (8). Five of the principles pertain to the recent attempts to reinvent Title IX:

Conduct rigorous oversight to rein in governmental abuse of power, such as an executive branch agency exceeding its legal authority by seeking to redefine the meaning of “sex” (9).
Curb wasteful spending by government agencies, such as the Department of Education (10).
Advance the Parents’ Bill of Rights (11).
Defend fairness by ensuring that only women can compete in women’s sports (12).
Uphold free speech guarantees and assure religious freedom (13).

SAVE urges members of Congress to move quickly to implement provisions of the Commitment to America and stop the Title IX take-over.

Links: