Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Thursday announced that the special interest groups challenging his successful litigation to block Biden-era changes to Title IX agreed to drop their appeal, sealing a “final victory” in the legal challenge launched in early 2024.
Skrmetti and the legal coalition behind the lawsuit, which includes the attorneys general of Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, and Virginia, originally received a favorable ruling in January 2025, blocking the Biden administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX to include gender identity and sexual orientation.
In a press release, the attorney general’s office reported that the special interest groups that appealed the decision last year have asked the court to drop their litigation, and on Thursday the court formally agreed.
“This is a legacy win for Tennessee and for women and girls across our nation,” Skrmetti said in a statement. “The Biden Administration tried to bypass Congress and rewrite Title IX through illegal rulemaking to advance a radical gender ideology that could not come close to majority support.”
He stated, “The courts rejected that effort, and now the would-be intervenors have abandoned their appeal, thereby bringing the litigation to a decisive end. This victory slams the door on those unconstitutional rules and ensures that Title IX continues to protect equal opportunities and privacy rights for women and girls as Congress intended.”
In a video posted to social media, Skrmetti highlighted the role of the Volunteer State in securing the favorable outcome.
“When the Biden administration pushed its illegal Title IX ruling, that would have rewritten the laws to mandate boys in girls’ locker rooms, boys on girls’ sports teams, and the use of preferred pronouns, Tennessee fought,” said the attorney general.
Tennessee stood up for women and girls and won. The appeal has officially been dismissed in our case against the Biden Title IX Rule, cementing a landmark, nationwide victory for privacy, common sense, and the rule of law.
➡️ Read more: https://t.co/3oKNdbritJ pic.twitter.com/zwGUWCU63E
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) May 14, 2026
“We got that ruling enjoined, we fought all the way up to the United States Supreme Court, and then we got the rule vacated, and now at long last, the litigation is finally done.” He added, “We have won, and I’m proud of the work that Tennessee did in protecting American children and the rule of law.”
The victory came on the heels of Skrmetti’s April victory in Memphis, where the attorney general’s office secured a legal decision allowing the continued deployment of the National Guard troops as part of the the Memphis Safe Task Force, prompting praise from the Trump administration.
During an appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show last month, Skrmetti also highlighted Tennessee’s role in the successful resolution of a multistate antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “AG Jonathan Skrmetti and Gov. Bill Lee” by AG Jonathan Skrmetti.
