Guilford County Board adopts revised Title IX nondiscrimination policy over 3–3 split of public commenters

The Guilford County Board of Education voted 6–3 to adopt revisions to policy 17-25/4035/7236 — the district's nondiscrimination policy aligned to recent U.S. Department of Education rules — after a long public-comment period and board discussion.

Opponents at the meeting urged the board to rescind the policy, citing a federal preliminary injunction obtained by Moms for Liberty that prevents the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing parts of the federal rule against families in the plaintiffs' cohort. Maria Adams, chair of Guilford County Moms for Liberty, said the group was'sued a preliminary injunction and that the rule is too vague: "This rule will profoundly impact First Amendment rights, parental rights, and the due process of those accused of Title IX violations," she told the board.

Supporters, including parents and local advocates, urged adoption. "Adopting nondiscrimination protections is literally a life-or-death issue for our community," said Sarah Porter, who said she came as a parent and advocate for LGBTQ+ students and cited research on mental-health harms tied to hostile policy environments.

Board members' debate centered on two issues: whether the pending national litigation (including an injunction issued by a federal court in Kansas) affects local authority, and whether the revised policy appropriately tailors grievance procedures for K–12 settings. Staff explained the Kansas injunction prevents federal enforcement of the Department of Education rule but "does not prohibit any district in the country from adopting policies itself." The administration said the substantive change in the proposed policy delegate to the superintendent the authority to adopt grievance procedures that are faster and more suited to schools than the lengthy, courtlike processes in the 2020 regulations.

Supporters argued the revisions allow school leaders to mitigate harms to complainants more quickly. District counsel and staff described two features of the earlier regulations that generated lengthy timelines: sequential 10-day review periods for parties to object and a requirement that removal or other interim actions be heavily restricted. The new model, staff said, allows K–12-appropriate flexibility, while the board retains oversight over policy itself.

In the recorded vote, five board members initially cited caution about pending litigation but the motion passed 6–3. Several board members asked staff to closely monitor litigation and to provide clarifying guidance to families and schools about what the policy means in practice. The administration said the superintendent will propose grievance procedures and training aligned to the policy language.

The board's action adopts new nondiscrimination text; it does not, by itself, publish the superintendent's implementing grievance procedures. Staff said the district will continue routine outreach and provide updated materials once the superintendent's regulations are adopted.

What happens next: the board-adopted policy delegates procedural design to the superintendent; families and staff will be notified when the district finalizes grievance procedures and training schedules.