Boston, MA - The Healey-Driscoll Administration issued the following statements April 19, 2024 in response to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Final Title IX Regulations that provide vital protections against sex discrimination. 

Governor Maura Healey: 

“No one should face bullying or discrimination because of who they are or who they love. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for restoring critical protections under Title IX that the Trump Administration had previously weakened. These vital final regulations make it clear that all students and staff, particularly our LGBTQI+ students, should feel welcomed, safe, and included in school – and that schools are required to provide educational programs and activities free from sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence.”    

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll: 

 “Governor Healey and I are proud that Massachusetts law protects students against discrimination on account of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin or sexual orientation, as well as provides protections for pregnant students. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their final Title IX regulations that move the country closer to the comprehensive protections we have in the Bay State.” 

Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler: 

“It is imperative that schools and school administrators create a culture in which all students and staff feel safe, supported, and fully included. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s final Title IX regulations that strengthen protections for our LGBTQI+ students and pregnant individuals, as well as enable fairer procedures for investigating and resolving complaints of sex discrimination. These changes will be a critical support for the good work already underway in Massachusetts. It is on all of us together to help our students thrive.”

As Attorney General, Maura Healey had submitted comment in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed rule with 15 other state attorneys general, and had beforehand joined a coalition of eighteen states that filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s final rule in an effort to protect students and empower schools to ensure equal opportunity.