Top Florida education official tells schools they have no obligation to follow new federal Title IX non-discrimination guidance
CNN
Just days after 22 states filed a lawsuit fighting the new US Department of Agriculture policy seeking to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Florida's top education official is advising schools in his state to ignore the guidance.
In a letter, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. tells superintendents, school boards, private school owners and charter school governing boards they have "no obligation" to follow the new Title IX equity rules laid out by the Biden administration.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination at federally funded schools. The new guidance threatens to withhold federal funding for school lunch and other USDA programs if states fail to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.