WASHINGTON - LGBT employees are asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to commit to safeguarding anti-discrimination regulations.

The staffers sent an email to DeVos that was obtained Friday by The Associated Press. In the email, staffers urge the new education secretary to issue a statement confirming her commitment to Title IX rules, which prohibit discrimination based on sex in educational programs.

The email was sent Wednesday by a group of LGBT Education Department employees and their supporters. It reads, "Our nation needs you to remind and empower students about their right to equal access to education."

The move follows a decision by President Donald Trump's Justice Department to withdraw a motion in the ongoing lawsuit over bathroom rights for transgender students in public schools. LGBT advocates said they see the move as a signal the administration will not protect transgender rights.