Board approves first reading to revert district Title IX policy after federal court ruling

The McFarland School District Board voted unanimously on first reading to rescind the district’s August 2024 Title IX policy changes and to reinstate the earlier policy language that applies through Aug. 1, 2024, after a federal court decision in January struck down the Administration’s 2024 Title IX regulations.

Board members heard staff explain that a U.S. federal court in Kentucky invalidated the February 2024 Title IX regulations, creating a nationwide legal effect that required districts to restore the prior policy text. A district administrator said the change is largely procedural for McFarland because the Seventh Circuit’s guidance, which governs Wisconsin, continues to require recognition of gender‑identity issues under federal law.

The first reading covered policy 2264 (nondiscrimination on the basis of *** in education programs or activities) and 2266 (the district grievance procedure for alleged harassment prior to Aug. 1, 2024). The board’s action rescinds the district policy adopted under the February 2024 regulations and returns to the previously revised Title IX policy language that predates those regulations.

Board discussion emphasized that the district’s practical obligations in Wisconsin are unchanged because of Seventh Circuit precedent; staff described the revisions as “procedural, frankly, and fairly minor.” The board asked for context about how the district reached the motion; staff traced the sequence to the January federal court ruling and explained the consequences for districts within and outside the Seventh Circuit.

The board took the vote as a first reading and carried it 5–0.