New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. New Jersey acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. Courtesy photo

Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is co-leading a multistate coalition alongside attorneys general in California and Pennsylvania in support of the U.S. Department of Education's proposed changes to Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.

In a 40-page letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the group of attorneys general from 20 states—led by Platkin, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro—criticize the previous amendments to Title IX, made in 2020 during former President Donald Trump's administration. The letter states that the 2020 round of changes imposed "an onerous and quasi-criminal process for Title IX sexual harassment proceedings in schools." As a result, according to the letter, students who have been sexually assaulted have been deterred from coming forward and protections for victims are weakened.