Education Department on Wednesday, June 16, expanded its interpretation of federal sex protections to include transgender and gay students, a move that reverses Trump-era policy and stands against proposals in many states to bar transgender girls from school sports.

Education Department on Wednesday, June 16, expanded its interpretation of federal sex protections to include transgender and gay students, a move that reverses Trump-era policy and stands against proposals in many states to bar transgender girls from school sports.

Education Department on Wednesday expanded its interpretation of federal sex protections to include transgender and gay students, a move that reverses Trump-era policy and stands against proposals in many states to bar transgender girls from school sports.

In announcing the shift, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said gay, lesbian and transgender students "have the same rights and deserve the same protections" as workers.

Under the federal law, students who face sex discrimination can bring complaints to the Education Department or federal courts.

With its new stance, the department is taking a stand against legislative proposals in a growing number of states that aim to forbid transgender girls from participating on female sports teams.

The decision reverses Trump-era policies that removed civil rights protections for transgender students.

The new action does not reinstate the Obama-era policy but instead clarifies that the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights will investigate complaints of discrimination involving gay or transgender students.

Biden's order directed the Education Department to review all aspects of Title IX — including sweeping changes issued last year by DeVos — and "consider suspending, revising or rescinding" policies that fail to protect students