More than a dozen states still not complying with new Title IX interpretation
Following the new interpretation of Title IX, many states are still ignoring the updated rules.
Currently, 18 states, plus the District of Columbia, are refusing to comply with a Title IX executive order issued by the White House.
More than a dozen U.S. states—and the District of Columbia—are refusing to comply with former President Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025, executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which directs federal agencies to withhold funding from schools and athletic associations that allow males to compete on girls’ teams.
That order mandates a biological-sex definition under Title IX and instructs the Department of Education to enforce this interpretation. Yet, Defending Education’s Title IX tracker found that out of 50 states, 18 plus D.C. have publicly rejected the rule via official statements or policies.
[RELATED: Title IX administrators group accused of undermining parental rights to push transgender policies in schools]
Compliant States:
So far, 32 states have complied with Trump’s executive order and enacted laws, issued orders, or adopted athletic policies consistent with the White House directive. Examples include Alabama, Florida, and Idaho (The Gem State was the first to pass such measures in 2020), with many explicitly barring males from female sports.
Numerous vetoes by Democratic governors in Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, and elsewhere were overridden legislatively. Additionally, state associations in Nevada, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania have launched separate policy updates.
Non-Compliant States:
These 18 states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. In these states, either high school associations or state officials have affirmed policies allowing student-athletes to participate based on gender identity, a direct rejection of the executive order.
The District of Columbia is also refusing to comply with Trump’s order.
[Related: Trump unfreezes $175M after UPenn removes men from women’s sports, revokes Lia Thomas’ Records]
The executive order authorizes federal funding cuts to any educational body that fails to comply, and the Education Dept. has already initiated investigations into several institutions. Additionally, the Trump administration has begun legal action, suing California over refusal to enforce the rule.
Trump’s executive order follows a brief reversal by the administration of former President Joe Biden in 2021, which expanded Title IX protections to include gender identity.