Edmonds school board reverts to former Title IX policy
EVERETT — The Edmonds school board unanimously voted Tuesday to adopt its former sex-based harassment policy in light of updated federal regulations.
The decision comes after a federal court in Kentucky vacated the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX regulations last month, as well as the U.S Department of Education sending a “Dear Colleague” letter to K-12 schools. If a school is not compliant with federal Title IX regulations, it could be at risk of losing federal funding.
The 2020 policy removes explicit protections for LGBTQ+ students, such as protection against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. However, Washington state law prohibits discrimination in schools on the basis of “sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity.”
“I’m very disappointed in the changes that happened so abruptly,” said Rob Baumgartner, assistant superintendent of human resources, at the board’s Feb. 25 meeting. “But my alarm isn’t as great because I have a lot of confidence that what we have in place in Washington state is strong enough to continue support our students and our families in the ways that we need to.”
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