Trump admin. officially reverses Obama-era Title IX rules

The Department of Education’s new Title IX rules officially took effect Friday, about two months after the department made its long-awaited announcement.

The changes took effect nationwide just days after a federal court blocked several states’ attempts to block them, as Campus Reform previously reported.

“Today’s ruling on our #TitleIX rule out of the Southern District of New York is a true victory for students,” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tweeted. “So pleased to see the court agrees that civil rights cannot wait.”

[RELATED: Georgetown students demand return to Obama-Biden era Title IX regulations]

The rules require schools to offer an equal right of appeal for both parties, which some critics say provides the accused with too many rights. They also define what constitutes “sexual harassment” as well as provides guidance on how schools should hold hearings related to sexual assault cases. Schools will also be held responsible for incidents that occur off-campus in houses owned by fraternities and sororities.

One non-profit group called “End Rape on Campus” criticized the move, going as far as to compare Secretary DeVos to a predator. 

The group tweeting, “You sound just like the perpetrators who gloat the day after.”

[RELATED: Trump administration ‘restores due process’ with new campus sexual assault regs]

The group is not the first to come out against the changes. 

Georgetown University students recently petitioned to return to Obama-era standards on Title IX, saying the changes will “discourage survivors from coming forward.”

Title IX is a federal law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities. DeVos announced the department would review the Title IX in 2018 and announced changes to the rules earlier in 2020.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @JezzamineWolk