New federal Title IX policy will no longer protect students from discrimination against sexuality and gender identity

by ELIZABETH SYMOLON

Staff Writer

For the third time in six years, the Department of Education announced changes to Title IX policies. This year, the Department, under the Trump Administration, announced that protections would no longer be in place for discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and marital status.

Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex-based harassment in federally funded educational institutions. In 2020, the Trump administration established a framework that required live hearings and advisor-conducted cross-examination and narrowed the definition of harassment.

 
During the Biden administration in 2024, the scope of the definition of harassment was widened, explicitly protecting individuals on the basis of “gender identity, sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, pregnancy and parental, family, or marital status.”

 
The 2024 rule also stated that misgendering a student may be considered discrimination. This year, the Department of Education announced that the framework would now change to no longer include protections against gender identity and sexual orientation.  

In a 2023 study published in the National Library of Medicine, researchers found researchers found LGBTQIA+ students face higher rates of sexual assault on college campuses, with a significant number of cases going unreported.  

As previously reported in The Weekly Ringer, UMW earned a four out of five score on the Campus Pride Index for LGBTQ+ student safety. Additionally, 65% of the student body identifies as female, according to a study done by College Tuition Compare in 2025.

 
UMW psychology professor and SafeZone acting director Dr. Mindy Erchull said repealing the additional protection for these students puts them at a higher risk of discrimination.

“The mechanisms available to [queer students] if they experience harassment based on gender or sexuality will now be different, and Title IX won’t be a source of support for them,” Erchull said.

Under current UMW policy, sex-based harassment that impacts a student’s academic or personal life on campus remains reportable to the university, even if it falls outside federal Title IX coverage. UMW staff and administrators emphasized the importance of additional support for students.

 
“UMW remains focused on providing a supportive environment for all students, faculty and staff,” UMW Director of Compliance, Title IX Coordinator and ADA Coordinator Ruth Davison shared in a statement. “UMW aims to foster an environment which remains committed to treating individuals with dignity at all times by valuing the inherent worth of all identities, abilities and differences.”

 
While protection is built into UMW’s core values and policies, the lack of legal protection is alarming to some students.

 
Without the inclusion of additional support for transgender students, Madeline Marshall, a senior psychology and philosophy major, worries that there is a real risk that these students will begin to face higher rates of discrimination and harassment.

 
“I am hopeful that if there is a situation where a student is being discriminated against for their sexuality that they will continue to be protected under sex-based discrimination. I am most concerned for how this will impact transgender students,” said Marshall. 

Marshall also worries that female students are at higher risk because of these changes. 
“I can’t imagine that these changes will do anything but prolong and exacerbate the suffering of people (but particularly girls) who are already really struggling,” Marshall said.

Junior chemistry major Henry Gudiel Vargas said he shares this concern for more vulnerable communities on campus.

 
“Some students may see this as an ‘easier chance’ to do something. I think that is horrible,” he said.

 
Despite the loss of Title IX protections, students are both hopeful that the university might implement its own protections, and concerned that administrators may feel pressure from the political climate to adjust the current discrimination guidelines.

 
Gudiel Vargas also shared his hopes that “even if there is no more government aid, that UMW recognizes their community and still provides support where they can, especially for the queer community here on campus.”

 
Erchull emphasized the importance of taking civic and political action to make students’ voices heard.

 
“We can’t take things for granted and assume change won’t happen,” she said.