Board told federal court vacated 2024 Title IX regulations; district to revert to 2020 rules

Dean Shatley, the district's in-house attorney, briefed the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education on Jan. 13 about a federal-court ruling with immediate implications for how the district handles Title IX complaints and procedures.

Shatley told the board the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky entered an order on Jan. 9 that vacated the August 2024 Title IX regulatory package for K-12 and higher education institutions. He said the ruling removes the 2024 rule'set from effect for covered institutions and directs the district to operate under the 2020 Title IX regulations.

"The court entered what's called a vacator or otherwise known as a vacated the entire rule for all colleges, schools, universities," Shatley said, noting the district will revert to the prior regulatory framework.

Shatley noted that the order may be appealed by the U.S. Department of Education but said an appeal is uncertain given pending changes in federal leadership. He advised the board that the district's current policies are compliant with the 2020 regulations and that no immediate policy change was required by the board.

Board members asked whether the district could require employees or students to use particular pronouns; Shatley said the Kentucky court's opinion considered First Amendment implications and indicated courts have been split but that forcing speech raises legal concerns. He recommended seeking reasonable solutions that respect legal constraints and the rights of involved parties.

Ending: Shatley said the district will monitor appeals and federal guidance and will advise the board if the legal landscape changes.