No student should feel too afraid to go to school. No student should face discrimination and harassment while trying to learn. No student should be denied the opportunity to succeed and thrive as who they are.

But for far too many transgender students, this isn’t the case. For far too many transgender students, discrimination is a part of education. Until now.

In a historic move this week, the U.S. Department of Education has announced that transgender students are protected from discrimination in school under Title IX.

While Title IX has previously protected students based on sex, it was unclear whether transgender students were protected under this law. But now there is no longer any uncertainty.

According to the Office for Civil Rights:

"Title IX's sex discrimination prohibition extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity and OCR accepts such complaints for investigation."

Transgender students deserve to feel safe at school so they can learn with their classmates, but often they face discrimination that impedes their ability to succeed. According to findings from GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey, 80% of transgender students experience a more hostile school climate and feel unsafe at school because of who they are.

This announcement from the U.S. Department of Education is a critical step toward ensuring that all young people, including transgender students, are treated with fairness and respect at school.

By extending Title IX protections to transgender students, schools will be required to provide equal access to all facilities and programs consistent with a student’s gender identity, making success possible for all students.

“Schools should be safe and welcoming for all students, and no students, including transgender young people, should have to deny who they are in order to get an education,” said Equality Federation Executive Director Rebecca Isaacs. “Thanks to the incredible leadership of the Department of Education and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, transgender students now have the protection they need to succeed and reach their full potential.”