Providence, RI – The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity is calling on parents of K-12 students as well as college students to take action by July 15 to exempt their schools from the unconstitutional changes to the historic Title IX law. These changes unilaterally implemented by the Biden Administration’s Department of Education threaten women’s sports and weaken due-process and parental rights as well as infringing on first amendment rights.

On July 2, a federal district court in Kansas halted the implementation of these controversial Title IX changes, initially set to take effect on August 1. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by four states and two national organizations, resulting in a preliminary injunction against the new rules.

“Our Center and our Ocean State Current have been leading the charge in Rhode Island about raising awareness about the constitutional, moral, family, and medical problems with regard to the trans-gender agenda that is being forced upon young students in our schools,” said Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “This breathtaking court ruling now gives every parent and student in our state the chance to exempt their own schools from these divisive federal mandates.”

Moms for Liberty, one of the plaintiffs, highlighted that the court order prevents the Department of Education from enforcing the new rule against Kansas, Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as schools attended by Young America’s Foundation members and children of Moms for Liberty members.

Rhode Island parents and students are encouraged to join Moms for Liberty by July 15, selecting “Washington, RI” as their chapter. By doing so, their listed schools will be included in a submission to the federal court to be exempt from the new rules.

“Gender ideology does not belong in public schools and we are glad the courts made the correct call to support parental rights. We will always stand up for the rights of parents and the protection of children,” said Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, co-founders of Moms for Liberty. All parents must have their voices heard and their right to raise their own children is part of the very fabric of a free America. The federal government has no right to claim our children as their own or to push parents out of the classroom.”

In this important ruling, the federal court in Kansas issued an opinion halting the Biden Department of Education’s Title IX changes in a lawsuit brought by Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) and Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) on behalf of their clients Moms for Liberty and Young America’s Foundation. The organizations joined the states of Kansas, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska, as well as other students and interest groups, in challenging the Department of Education’s blatant disregard for the First Amendment rights of K-12 and college students.

This is the 5th federal court to rule against the Biden Administration over this Title IX rule-making scheme that eviscerates women’s equality, free speech, and due process on campus.

The members of Moms for Liberty and Young America’s Foundation are parents and students in K-12 schools and colleges who fear sharing their true views—including the view that gender is not fluid, that there are only two genders based on biological sex, and that private spaces on campuses should be kept sex-segregated—in light of the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional changes to the definition of “sex” under Title IX. Under the Department of Education’s new rule, “sex” no longer means male or female but includes gender identity and sex stereotypes, so anyone who speaks out against gender identity, fails to recognize a classmate’s “preferred pronouns,” or speaks up for their physical safety and right not to have to undress in front of the opposite biological sex can be punished for harassment.

As the parties explained in the briefing before the court, this will have devastating consequences for free speech. The court agreed, ruling that the new rule is so vague that students will be forced to self-censor rather than risk punishment. The order prohibits the Biden Department of Education from enforcing the new rule against the states of Kansas, Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as every school attended by the members of Young America’s Foundation and the children of Moms for Liberty members. Read the court order here.