Just as the days in office for President Joe Biden started dwindling down to a few, a prominent federal judge pulled the rug out from under one of his most pronounced education strategies. Judge Danny C. Reeves, who serves as the primary justice for the Eastern District of Kentucky, firmly decided that the Biden administration’s alterations to Title IX were not in harmony with the U.S. Constitution. Enacted in 1972, Title IX prohibits any sex-based discrimination in federally funded K-12 schools and higher education institutions. However, Reeves identified the Department of Education’s excessively wide comprehension of what comprises sex-based misconduct as a constitutional infringement, particularly affecting First Amendment rights.
The judgment was a lethal blow to the controversial regulations that had been held under critical examination by Republican politicians from all corners of the country, due to their express, and some alleged, unnecessary protections for the LGBTQ+ students. It is among the innumerable aspects of Biden’s failing educational agenda that came across overwhelming disapproval or even outright rejection during the last moments of his tenure. The Department of Education remained tight-lipped upon the delivered judgment, offering no immediate response.
It’s worth noting that the revamped regulations, which took cross-generational efforts and substantial time to finalize, aimed to stretch the definition of sex-based discrimination to cover gender identity as well. One could perceive it as an attempt to further fortify the rights of students who claim to be the victims of sexual assault or harassment. This turned back the pages on the protocols established under Trump, which advocacy groups censured for making the victims’ proof of meeting their concerns significantly more difficult.
The new regulations also extended their scope to safeguard the rights of students who were pregnant or raising a child. They came into force quite recently — in August — but were limited to a small number of educational programs. However, a barrage of lawsuits and subsequent court rulings disrupted their implementation on different levels, affecting various states, educational districts, and colleges.
The rapid-fire changes to the guidelines left many school officials bewildered, concerned about their institution’s compliance with federal laws. The wide-reaching effects of these lawsuits resulted in a patchwork implementation of policies, further convoluting federal law adherence. Repeatedly reversed directions added an element of confusion that was just one of many symptomatic failures of the Biden administration.
With the ruling from Judge Reeves, however, all of these concerns have been laid to rest. Conservative figures are celebrating the return of clarity in law enforcement after the reactionary twists and turns of Biden’s term. Virginia’s GOP Attorney General, Jason Miyares, penned a triumphant post: ‘All of America is now safe from Biden’s attempt to undermine half a century of landmark protections for women.’
Those opposing the commotion caused by Biden’s changes argued that stretching civil rights protections beyond the basis of biological sex could pose potential transgressions towards the rights of women and girls. Supporters attempted to counter this argument, emphasizing that the altered rules would offer much-needed protections for the LGBTQ+ students who are subject to harassment. These debates, however, were silenced by the court’s decision.
Virginia was on the list of plaintiffs who had initiated the lawsuit leading to this significant court order. Though the Biden administration has the theoretical option to challenge the latest ruling, the countdown to the end of his tumultuous tenure is ticking. As President-elect Donald Trump gathers momentum to assume his presidency on January 20, the likelihood of an appeal grows dim.
Neal Hutchens, an education professor at the University of Kentucky, commented that the current ruling is essentially a welcome gift to the incoming Trump administration, which most likely won’t be challenged. Indeed, Biden’s short-lived attempts to challenge the established norms have found their end, much to the approval of those wary of his administration’s policy whirligig.
And so, as Biden’s fragmented term draws to a close, his impact on the education sector appears more as an exercise in roiling waters than achieving lasting, substantive reform. The story of his administration – from failed immigration reform to this ill-conceived education bulwark – has been one of lofty promises undone by ineffective, if not divisive, implementation.
The Biden administration’s foray into education policy has once again demonstrated a fundamental principle of governance: policy without consensus is simply rhetoric. Without the broad support necessary for successful policy implementation, Biden’s education agenda was doomed for failure.
Biden’s administration has shown time and time again its inability to tread the subtle line between advocacies and practical governance. Its impulsive tackle of transforming education has not only confused school professionals but also demonstrated how recklessly such changes can be proposed.
Furthermore, it’s clear that Biden’s hasty overhauls were not designed to be permanent, robust solutions, but rather temporary band-aids that only served to exacerbate pre-existing complications in the system. His attempts to undermine longstanding protections in the name of progressive reform have been rightly curbed.
Strategically, the Biden administration has further exposed its fissures and failures by focusing energy on education reform while enduring continuous scrutiny from other unresolved issues. This tale of distributive governance is emblematic of the Biden administration’s inability to prioritize the major over the minor and to execute policy plans effectively.
Finally, this example of Biden’s education plan failure should stand as a stern reminder of the dangers associated with leadership dependent on constant policy shifts. Any reliable administration operates on the bedrock of clear, consistent policy, which was sorely lacking in Biden’s times.
Despite everything, the Biden administration cruelly awakened educational institutions — baiting them with prospects of change, only to leave them in lasting legislative turmoil. As his tenure now comes to an end, we’re reminded yet again of the unsuitable policies, missed opportunities, and ineffective leadership that marked his brief and chaotic reign.