The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday opened investigations into 18 school districts, universities, and local education departments for alleged violations of civil rights laws over policies allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
The entities are accused of violating Title IX, a federal civil rights law meant to protect women from discrimination, thereby jeopardizing “both the safety and the equal opportunities of women in educational programs and activities,” ED said in a press release. The Supreme Court is currently hearing two cases that will determine the legality of statewide bans on men competing in women’s sports.
“In the same week that the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the future of Title IX, [the Office for Civil Rights] is aggressively pursuing allegations of discrimination against women and girls by entities which reportedly allow males to compete in women’s sports,” Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights at ED, said in a statement announcing the investigations.
“Time and again, the Trump Administration has made its position clear: violations of women’s rights, dignity, and fairness are unacceptable,” she said. “We will leave no stone unturned in these investigations to uphold women’s right to equal access in education programs—a fight that started over half a century ago and is far from finished.”
School districts in California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington State are under the federal microscope, along with the education departments of Hawaii and New York City. Higher education is also part of the probe, with Santa Monica College, Santa Rosa College, and the University of Nevada each named for investigation.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed on Tuesday that Title IX will continue to be enforced based on “biological reality” as she spoke on the steps of the Supreme Court. The Education Department issued a memo in February 2025 warning universities of the administration’s intent on the issue, and later created the Title IX Special Investigations Team to thoroughly address complaints relating to sex-based discrimination.
The Biden administration made an effort to revise Title IX to include “gender identity,” but the attempt was later dropped after a lengthy legal battle. It was later halted permanently by a federal court.
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