(June 30, 2025): The College Fix reports on Southeastern Legal Foundation’s (SLF’s) warnings that three Florida universities are failing to comply with Title IX and may be violating students’ freedom of speech.
SLF sent legal demand letters to the University of North Florida, University of West Florida, and Florida International University urging them to revise their Title IX policies because they put students’ free speech at risk. Each of the universities’ policies ban discrimination and harassment on the basis of so-called “gender identity,” using vague terms that leave students wondering whether they can speak out against transgender ideology or whether they will be forced to conform to woke viewpoints.
The policies are “remnants” of President Biden’s attempt to completely overhaul Title IX by changing the definition of “sex” under the statute to include “gender identity.” Despite President Trump’s and Governor DeSantis’s efforts to restore common sense protections in Florida universities, some universities have yet to update their policies to ensure that students’ freedom of speech is secure.
In an interview with The College Fix, SLF VP of Legal Initiatives Cece O’Leary explains that while June is Title IX month and a time for uplifting women and girls, instead “we’ve seen an erasure of protections for not only women, but also men on campus. And we’re seeing this culture of censorship everywhere you look.”
SLF warns the three universities that their policies will have the unconstitutional effect of stifling speech because students who complain about biological males using women’s restrooms or refuse to recognize biologically incorrect pronouns could be punished. This not only scares students into silence, but also compels their speech.
SLF seeks to hold universities accountable not only to ensure that campuses are safer for women and girls, but “for all students who want to express their views freely.”
Read the full article at TheCollegeFix.com.