Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated in a Tuesday announcement that this measure removes the 2024 regulation from the federal register and reinstates norms approved during Donald Trump's first term, which the government had been applying since January 2025.
The norm adopted by Biden in 2024 was the first to explicitly interpret the prohibition of sex-based discrimination under Title IX legislation as also extending to sexual orientation and gender identity.
This regulation provided protection for students and staff of federally funded educational institutions against such discrimination.
Title IX is a federal law enacted in 1972 that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs receiving federal funding.
The 2024 regulation also expanded the definition of sexual harassment, including harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, in addition to sexual assault, domestic violence, and harassment.
Thanks to the decision announced on Tuesday, the Department of Education officially reverts to the 2020 norms, which established a narrower definition of sexual harassment and strengthened procedural guarantees for accused students.
According to local sources, this change has limited impact, as the Trump administration stopped applying Biden's norms in January 2025 after they were blocked and subsequently annulled in several courts.