The proposed rule, which entered the public comment period last month, places restrictions on the ability of schools to require student-athletes to compete based on their biological sex. If schools defy the rule, they could lose federal funds, even as a number of states have passed laws requiring student-athletes to compete based on their biological sex.The deluge of comments during the comment period that ended Monday came from a wide range of organizations and groups.
"The Department of Education only opened the comment period for 30 days , yet the volume that was generated in such a short period of time actually surpassed the total number of comments submitted for Secretary DeVos’ Title IX rule in 2018," Neily said."This highlights how strongly Americans feel about the issue of transgender athletic participation — both for and against — and will be closely watching how the federal government decides to adjudicate this fraught issue.
Bob Eitel, the president of the conservative Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies, said the deluge of comments was indicative of a groundswell opposition to the proposed regulation.