The U.S. Department of Education this week launched sweeping investigations into 18 school districts and colleges for allegedly permitting transgender athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
According to the Education Department, the 18 educational entities have maintained practices that reinforce school athletic policies that assign students not according to their biological sex, but their gender identities.
President Trump’s second term began with the elimination of the “unlawful” Biden-era Title IX reforms when the current administration announced that schools would be required to abide by Trump’s 2020 Title IX regulations.
The feds have made it clear that violating women’s rights, dignity and fairness “are unacceptable,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey.
“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,” she said in a statement.
Here is the list of schools and colleges being targeted:
- Jurupa School District (CA)
- Placentia-Yorba School District (CA)
- Santa Monica College (CA)
- Santa Rosa Junior College (CA)
- Waterbury Public Schools (CT)
- Hawaii State Department of Education (HI)
- Regional School Unit 19 (ME)
- Regional School Unit 57 (ME)
- Foxborough Public Schools (MA)
- University of Nevada – Reno (NV)
- Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District (NY)
- New York City Department of Education (NY)
- Great Valley School District (PA)
- Champlain Valley School District (VT)
- Cheney Public Schools (WA)
- Sultan School District No. 311 (WA)
- Tacoma Public Schools (WA)
- Vancouver Public Schools (WA)
Meanwhile, the Education Department announced an additional investigation into the California Community College Athletic Association amid similar allegations that its athletic policy violates Title IX. According to the Department, the policy states that “a trans[gender] female…or non-binary student-athlete who has completed at least one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment…may compete on a women’s team.”
The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funding from numerous school districts for their student athletic policies. One of the most significant cases in the past year occurred in April, when the Education Department announced Maine’s consequences for its Title IX noncompliance.
At the time, it was confirmed that the Maine Department of Education enforced practices and policies that allowed males to compete in female sports and “occupy women-only intimate spaces.” Maine refused to comply with the Education Department’s resolution agreement.
However, Maine scored one of the first legal victories after successfully suing the Department of Agriculture for freezing school nutrition funding, according to reports. No evidence suggests that schools lost funding for the Title IX complaint.
More from DA: Leaders should anticipate these 5 changes to safety in 2026
