OCHE acts to uphold Title IX following Governor’s request

HELENA, MT. – Governor Greg Gianforte on July 23rd, applauded the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) for protecting women’s sports in the face of recent efforts by the Biden administration to upend the fair, level playing field for collegiate female athletes.

“In Montana, we’ve made it clear that we will not let a loud vocal minority or the President of the United States prevent us from doing the right thing for girls and young women,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I am grateful to OCHE and the Montana University System for standing firm on policies that protect girls and women on Montana’s colleges and universities.”

In May, the Montana Supreme Court issued a decision allowing biological men to compete in women’s collegiate sports. In response, the governor called on the Board of Regents to enact formal policy to protect collegiate female athletes.

Following that letter, OCHE recently issued guidance to all Montana campuses stating it will not proceed with implementing new Title IX regulations set by the Biden administration aimed at undermining the integrity of women’s sports.

“The far left will continue its march to insert its ideological agenda in our schools and universities,” Gov. Gianforte added. “As governor, I’m proud of my record defending the integrity of women’s sports.”

In April, Montana was one of 22 states that sued to halt implementation of the Biden administration’s revised Title IX regulations.

In June, the federal district court of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction enjoining the U.S. Department of Education from implementing this final rule in Montana.

In May 2021, the governor signed HB 112 into law to ban transgender athletes from competing as the gender they identify with in K-12 and collegiate sports. While the May 2024 ruling from the Montana Supreme Court eliminated the protections for university athletics, it maintained them for K-12 schools.

In addition to the governor’s guidance to the Board of Regents on Title IX, he also called on the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) to guarantee fair competition for women and girls in women’s sports. The governor has yet to receive a response.

The governor’s letter to the Montana Board of Regents may be viewed here, and the memo sent from OCHE to Montana campuses may be viewed here.