Department of Education v. Louisiana

On August 16, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Biden administration's emergency application to narrow injunctions issued by lower courts blocking the Department of Education's new Title IX rule. The rule, set to take effect on August 1, 2024, expanded protections against sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho led a multistate coalition arguing the rule exceeded statutory authority and conflicted with state laws. The Court's conservative majority left preliminary injunctions in place for the plaintiff states while litigation proceeds in the Fifth Circuit. Liberal justices dissented, contending the injunctions were overly broad.

The Supreme Court, in an unsigned order, denied the government's request to partially stay the injunctions, keeping the rule blocked in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, and other plaintiff states while the Fifth Circuit reviews the case. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Jackson dissented in part.

Whether the Department of Education's reinterpretation of Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity exceeds statutory authority granted by Congress, and whether lower courts properly issued statewide injunctions blocking the rule's enforcement.

The decision highlighted deep judicial divides over administrative authority and transgender rights, prolonging uncertainty for schools nationwide. Conservative states viewed it as a victory for local control and women's sports, while LGBTQ+ advocates warned of continued discrimination against vulnerable students. The ruling set the stage for further Supreme Court review.