The Trump Administration’s Title IX Decision Endangers Women, Girls, and Survivors
Statement from Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., senior vice president of EdTrust.
CONTACT:
media@edtrust.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mon. February 3, 2025
The Trump Administration’s Title IX Decision Endangers Women, Girls, and Survivors
Statement from Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., senior vice president of EdTrust
“The U.S. Department of Education’s decision to enforce the Trump administration’s 2020 Title IX rule — and issue an executive order reinforcing rigid, outdated definitions of gender — is a blatant attempt to roll back the rights of students rather than protect them.
“Let’s be clear: this rule does not protect women — it actively undermines their rights and safety. Title IX was meant to ensure equal educational opportunities, yet this decision weaponizes the law to strip away protections from students who face discrimination, harassment, and violence on campus. This executive order furthers the harm by defining “women’s rights” so narrowly that it ignores the real, systemic challenges that many women and girls — especially Black, Latina, and Native girls—face every day in our schools.
“If this administration truly cared about protecting women and girls, it would start by addressing racial disparities in school discipline rather than restricting students’ rights under the guise of protecting them.
“Rather than focusing on fabricated threats to women’s spaces, policymakers should address the real, documented threats facing Black, Latina, and Native girls in schools—such as disproportionate discipline, criminalization, and exclusion from educational opportunities.
“Black girls are 5 times more likely to be suspended than white girls. They are more likely to be seen as disruptive, aggressive, or in need of punishment rather than support and humanity.
“Latina girls often face gendered discipline that leads to higher levels of school arrest and retention.
“Native girls experience some of the highest rates of school pushout due to punitive discipline policies. They are disproportionately suspended, expelled, and referred to law enforcement, further disconnecting them from their education and communities.
“These are real barriers to educational opportunity — barriers that this administration refuses to acknowledge while falsely claiming to “protect” women.
“This administration claims to be interested in protecting women’s rights but has done nothing to protect their access to reproductive health care. Across 22 states, the right has successfully canceled or significantly limited access to reproductive health for women after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In 10 states, there isn’t even an exception for abortion in cases of rape or incest. The executive order’s language about “protecting women” rings false when the administration is failing to protect their most basic rights.
“Meanwhile, women on college campuses across the country will feel less safe. Campus sexual assault survivors will now face weakened protections, fewer resources, and a process designed to silence them rather than support them. The 2020 Title IX rule forces survivors into a retraumatizing and unfair process, making it harder for them to seek justice.
“If this administration truly cared about protecting women and girls, it would:
“At EdTrust, we remain committed to fighting for policies that truly protect students, uphold their civil rights, and create an education system where all students — regardless of gender, race, or identity—can thrive. We will not be silent as this administration erases protections for survivors, ignores systemic racial disparities, and pretends that restricting students’ rights is the same as protecting them.
“We call on leaders to reject these harmful and disingenuous policies and focus on the real challenges facing women and girls in education today.”
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About EdTrust
EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.