DeSantis Admin Fires Back At Proposed Biden Rule: ‘We Will Never Allow Boys To Play In Girls’ Sports’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration criticized the Biden administration after it proposed new regulations that would prohibit schools from banning trans-identifying males from girls’ sports, according to reports.

In a statement, Manny Diaz Jr., Commissioner of Education, said that Florida would never tolerate the proposed regulations. “This is a sad, pathetic attempt from a completely inept administration to force their woke worldview on the rest of us,” Diaz said. He added that Florida would fight this overreach and uphold Title IX, which affords protections to women in sports.

Recently, the Department of Education proposed new rules to prevent schools that receive federal funding from banning biological males in girls’ sports in entirety, though schools may exclude them on a case-by-case basis. The proposal would allow schools “the flexibility to develop their own policies” in relation to participating in girls’ sports.

The proposed regulations set out two standards that schools must meet for sex-related criteria that limit or ban trans-identified students from playing sports with their preferred gender. Firstly, it must relate to an “important educational objective”, and secondly, it must reduce harm to the trans-identified student. Examples of “important educational objectives” include preventing sports-related injuries and fairness in competition.

The proposed regulations could be problematic for schools as parental rights advocates claim they are too unclear, sparking fears that schools will be too scared to implement any limits on males participating in girls’ sports. Critics are also expected to offer challenges during the public opinion period.

The proposed rule will apply to all public schools (K-12) and universities in receipt of federal funding.