NWLC Reacts to Department of Energy’s Direct Final Rules on Title IX Protections

WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued a series of direct final rules (DFRs) that threaten to roll back civil rights protections for women, girls, and communities of color — and bypass the normal rulemaking process.

Today, the DOE announced that it has withdrawn one of these proposals, which would have removed athletic opportunities for women and girls, marking a victory for ensuring that women and girls still have the protections they need to participate fully and equitably in sports. 

However, DOE indicated it was still planning to finalize rules that would rescind gender-based affirmative action under Title IX and protections against policies that have a discriminatory impact on historically marginalized communities. Instead of withdrawing them, the DOE extended the date by which its rules rescinding those protections would take effect.

Shiwali Patel, Senior Director of Safe and Inclusive Schools at the National Women’s Law Center, issued the following statement:

“In trying to quietly dismantle protections under Title IX and other civil rights laws, the Department of Energy is seeking to erode decades of progress. But the public pushed back and submitted more than 12,500 comments to the agency opposing its unlawful changes. Withdrawing the athletics rule shows that public pressure works, but continuing forward with the other rules shows this administration is still determined to chip away at opportunities for women, girls, and communities of color. Rescinding these other rules will deepen inequities in education and beyond. We will keep fighting every attempt to strip away our rights by the Trump administration.”