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Sarasota school board votes to reject federal expansion of Title IX protections

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Published  May 7, 2024 11:25pm EDT
Sarasota County
FOX 13 News

Showdown over Title IX in Sarasota County

The battle between the White House and the State of Florida over Title IX led to an hours-long debate Tuesday night in Sarasota County. The school board voted 4-1 to back Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has vowed not to comply with changes to federal law.

SARASOTA, Fla. - In another showdown between Florida and the White House, the Sarasota County School Board voted Tuesday night to pass a resolution against new Title IX revisions that would protect LGBTQ+ students.

The 4-1 vote came after hours of heated debate and was led by school board member Bridget Ziegler, the controversial co-founder of Moms for Liberty, who called on the district to back Governor Ron DeSantis’ declaration that Florida schools "will not comply" with the federal revisions to Title IX.

Title IX revisions are set to provide protection against harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, with federal guidelines set to take effect August 1.

RELATED: DeSantis: Florida 'will not comply' with expanded Title IX protections

Prior to Tuesday's vote, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr., spoke against the resolution, saying schools should not make these changes and subject themselves to federal lawsuits.

Ziegler also spoke Tuesday night, saying the federal Title IX changes by the Biden Administration go against state laws -- and reiterated that Florida still has strong laws against bullying in place.

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