LEXINGTON, Ky. (BP) — A federal district court in Kentucky has blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to expand the meaning of the word “sex” in Title IX to include “gender identity.”

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program that receives federal funding. Plaintiffs in the case argued the Biden administration’s proposed change had the opposite effect of Title IX’s original intent — protecting women and girls. Judge Danny Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky agreed.

“[W]hen Title IX is viewed in its entirety, it is abundantly clear that discrimination on the basis of sex means discrimination on the basis of being a male or female,” the court wrote in its opinion. “As this Court and others have explained, expanding the meaning of ‘on the basis of sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ turns Title IX on its head.”

Hannah Daniel, director of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), called the ruling a “monumental victory.”

“When biological realities are ignored, it is women who suffer,” Daniel said. “The Biden administration’s attempt to distort Title IX put the safety and opportunities of women at risk, and the court has rightly stopped this policy from moving forward.”

Daniel had sharply criticized the rule change when it was proposed in April of last year.

“After 50 years of working to advance professional and educational opportunities for women, Title IX has been co-opted by the sexual revolution,” she said at the time. “Rather than protecting spaces where women can flourish, achieve and compete, the Biden administration has chosen to prioritize the advancement of sexual orientation and gender identity politics. Southern Baptists believe our biological realities cannot be ignored, and any attempt to do so will inevitably bring harm to women and our society.”

Plaintiffs in the case are the state of Tennessee, along with the Christian Educators Association International and a West Virginia student-athlete who was forced to compete against a male athlete on her track-and-field team. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) represented the plaintiffs.

“This is a colossal win for women and girls across the country,” said ADF CEO, president, and general counsel Kristen Waggoner. “The Biden administration’s radical attempt to redefine sex not only tossed fairness, safety and privacy for female students out the window, it also threatened free speech and parental rights. With this ruling, the federal court in Kentucky rejected the entire Biden rule and the administration’s illegal actions. We are thankful for the leadership of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and other state attorneys general who challenged this blatant overreach alongside our courageous clients.

“This ruling provides enormous relief for students across the country, including our client who has already suffered harassment by a male student in the locker room and on her sports team. The U.S. Supreme Court can further protect girls like our client by granting cases brought by the ACLU against West Virginia and Idaho laws that protect women’s sports.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Laura Erlanson is managing editor of Baptist Press.)