AFA of PA ACTION ALERT

June 9, 2021

Issue

US Department of Education Seeking Public Comment

Details

Back in March thirty-three LGBT former and current students of religious colleges and universities  filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Education over the Title IX religious exemptions allowed for federally funded institutions, claiming that the exemptions have allowed the schools to discriminate against them.

This week — June 7 to 11 — the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is holding a virtual public hearing to gather information for improving enforcement of Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972.   The hearing is part of OCR’s comprehensive review of the Department’s existing regulations and other actions related to Title IX to implement President Biden’s March 8 Executive Order 14021 on Guaranteeing an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity and his Executive Order 13988 on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.

Homosexual groups, including the organizers of the aforementioned lawsuit want all federal funding removed from colleges and universities which “discriminate” by adhering to the Biblical view on marriage and sexuality.  The OCR is seeking public comment. 

Title IX was enacted to ensure: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Unfortunately, President Biden and the Democrats, including those at the US Department of Education, want to expand the definition of the word “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity.  In other words, they want “transgender girls” (biological boys) to compete in girls’ sports and share dorm rooms, bathrooms and showers with females. 

So, the US Department of Education needs to hear from concerned Americans.  Here are a couple bullet points you may choose to use when you contact the US DOE:

  • Transgender girls are biological males and, as Olympian Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner notes, “That’s why I oppose biological boys who are trans competing in girls’ sports in schools.  It just isn’t fair.  And we have to protect girls’ sports in our schools.”
  • The First Amendment is still the First Amendment and religious schools which adhere to Biblical teaching on sexuality are protected by it.
  • The majority of Americans do not want their taxpayer dollars used to force religious schools to abandon Biblical teaching.

Action Steps

Instructions from the US Department of Education:  “Members of the public can also send their written comments to T9PublicHearing@ed.gov    

Please do not send comments or other material to other email addresses for OCR or the Department as those materials will not be considered part of the record for this hearing. Written comments must be received at T9PublicHearing@ed.gov by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on June 11, 2021, and include the subject line “Written Comment: Title IX Public Hearing (topic of the comment).” The email may include the name(s), occupation, 9 city and State, organization/affiliation (if any), and email address of the person(s) submitting the written comment, along with the comment. Those wishing to maintain their privacy can submit a comment without including personally identifiable information. Written comments submitted for this hearing are solely for the purpose of informing the Department’s review of its regulations, guidance, and other agency actions under Title IX.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email