Title IX · Episode 10 of 10 · 42 min
Title IX Today: The Trans Debate, NIL, and the Supreme Court
The Title IX fight has narrowed to two words, on the basis of sex, and whether they include gender identity. That question has reached the Supreme Court, a presidential executive order and a gutted enforcement office, while paying college athletes reopened the old question of who counts as equal. The finale lays out both sides.
Who's who
- Lindsay HecoxBoise State student and plaintiff challenging Idaho's ban on transgender women in sports
- Gerald BostockPlaintiff in the 2020 employment case central to the Title IX dispute
- Donald Trump+11 more episodesPresident who signed Executive Order 14201 on women's sports
- Claudia WilkenFederal judge who approved the House v. NCAA settlement
Where it happens
- Eastern District of Kentucky, KentuckyFederal court that vacated the 2024 Title IX rule nationwide
- Boise State University, IdahoSchool of the plaintiff in Little v. Hecox
Timeline
- June 15, 2020Bostock v. Clayton County holds firing for being gay or transgender is discrimination because of sex
- January 9, 2025A Kentucky court vacates the 2024 Title IX rule nationwide
- February 5, 2025Trump signs Executive Order 14201, Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports
- March 11, 2025Layoffs cut about half the Office for Civil Rights; seven of twelve regional offices close
- July 1, 2025Direct revenue-sharing with college athletes begins, capped near $20.5 million per school
- January 13, 2026The Supreme Court hears Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.
Still debated
Whether discrimination on the basis of sex includes gender identity is unsettled. Inclusion advocates cite Bostock and dignity, while others stress that Title IX created a protected category for females. Whether the NIL money split meets Title IX, and who enforces claims now, are also open.
Connected episodes in other series
How Liberty University Became a Political MachineA Wall of Separation · Episode 13Also features Donald Trump
Gaza and Southern Lebanon: Does the Old Pattern Fit?Empty the Land · Episode 11Also features Donald Trump
How the Iran Nuclear Deal Collapsed: JCPOA, Maximum Pressure & SoleimaniIran & America: A Century and Counting · Episode 10Also features Donald Trump
The Case Against the Post OfficeNeither Snow Nor Rain · Episode 9Also features Donald Trump