A judge has just blocked President Joe Biden's Title IX rule from being implemented in four different states. 

The judge to do so, according to the Associated Press, is U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty.

The case is taking place in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Doughty issued his opinion on Thursday. But before we get to that, we'll briefly look at what led to this litigation.

Background

For those unfamiliar with Title IX, it is a federal law, that has been in place now for several decades, that looks to stop schools and other educational centers that receive federal funding from discriminating against an individual based on that individual's sex.

When a new presidential administration takes over, that administration may try to make changes to laws like Title IX. This is what the Biden administration has done.

According to Fox News, Biden, specifically, looked to expand the coverage of Title IX to prevent discrimination, not only based on one's sex, but also based on one's gender identity and sexual orientation.

This, to say the least, is highly controversial, and many states that disagree with Biden's expansion of Title IX have filed a lawsuit against him, looking to stop Biden's changes from taking effect.

Fox explains:

The latest update, from April, expands the definition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity — a move that critics say would undermine hard-won protections for women and girls.

Motion granted

At the outset of this case, Judge Doughty was asked to grant a preliminary injunction, which would essentially stop Biden's changes to Title IX from taking place while litigation over their constitutionality continues.

Doughty, on Thursday, granted this injunction.

The judge wrote:

This case demonstrates the abuse of power by executive federal agencies in the rulemaking process. The separation of powers and system of checks and balances exist in this country for a reason.

Doughty ruling, it ought to be noted, only stops the rule change from taking effect in four states. These states are Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho. It remains to be seen whether the Biden administration will attempt to appeal Doughty's ruling.

Other states have also brought similar lawsuits against Biden in response to his expansion of Title IX. At the time of this writing, it does not appear as though the judges overseeing the other cases have issued any rulings.