Page updated April 22, 2025
Universities receiving federal funds must comply with civil rights laws that provide that no person shall, on the grounds of sex, race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under programs and activities that the university sponsors or promotes (Title VI and Title IX). The University’s requirement to comply with these laws is consistent with its wholehearted and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Those values are essential to serving our community and achieving the University’s mission and they remain a priority.
Additional guidance following a Jan. 20 executive order on gender identity, including that order’s impact on federal regulations governing sex- and gender-based discrimination and harassment, including Title IX, was not expected until March. While no clear guidance has emerged as of this writing, various federal agencies have taken actions to come into alignment with the executive order, such as definitions issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A Jan. 28 executive order barring certain gender-affirming care for individuals under age 19 will also be followed by additional federal regulatory actions and guidance this winter. A temporary restraining order issued Feb. 14 blocked implementation of the executive order in Washington, Oregon and Minnesota, and its effects were extended Feb. 28 when a federal judge in Seattle issued a preliminary injunction and added Colorado to the states where that injunction is in effect. A federal judge in Baltimore also blocked implementation of the executive order nationwide via a preliminary injunction issued March 4.
Finally, a Feb. 5 executive order changing Title IX interpretation to bar transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s K-12 and college sports teams was followed on Feb. 6 by a change in NCAA policy to align with that order.