The U.S. Department of Education has formally rescinded the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule, restoring the 2020 regulations. The 2024 rule had already been vacated nationwide by a federal court in January 2025, so this action makes the rollback official in the regulations; it does not mark the first day the 2020 rule has applied.
The Human Rights Alliance of New Mexico condemns a policy direction that leaves transgender and nonbinary students with fewer protections under federal Title IX enforcement. Every student deserves to learn without harassment, humiliation, or discrimination. A young person’s safety and dignity should not depend on whether federal officials recognize their identity.
New Mexico’s protections still matter. State law and regulations prohibit discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including in public schools. But families and students should not have to navigate a patchwork of protections or wonder whether their school will stand up for them.
HRA urges New Mexico school districts to uphold state protections, respond promptly to harassment, and make sure students and families know where to seek help. We call on community members to ask their school boards how they will protect LGBTQIA2S+ students in practice—and to hold those boards accountable for the answer.
All students belong in our schools. Their safety, dignity, and equal opportunity are not negotiable.