The Trump administration has opened an investigation into alleged Title IX violations in Washington state following reports of biological males participating in female sports and using girls' locker rooms, the Department of Education announced on Wednesday.
"Today's investigation into Washington OSPI [Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction] is a first-of-its-kind, bringing together ED and [the Department of Justice], and multiple offices within ED to adjudicate several potential violations of federal law," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
Earlier in April, the Department of Education's Office of the General Counsel sent a letter to the state threatening the termination of funding over the La Center School District's unwillingness to adopt policies that may violate federal law. In February, OSPI instructed that La Center "not proactively share information about any students' gender identity without the student's consent," which could potentially violate parental rights.
"Washington State appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms," the secretary continued.
"If true, these are clear violations of parental rights and female equality in athletics, which are protected by federal laws that will be enforced by the Trump administration."
The Washington Examiner reported that that state superintendent of public instruction, Chris Reykdal, received a letter that alleged other violations.
"Several Washington school districts have reported to the U.S. Department of Education that the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has adopted policies that allow male students to participate on girls' athletics teams and enter girls' locker rooms and restrooms, in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972," acting Assistant Education Secretary Craig Trainor wrote in the letter.
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" which was drafted off Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 stating that educational institutions receiving federal funds cannot deny women an equal opportunity to participate in sports.
Earlier in the week, the Department of Education determined that the University of Pennsylvania had violated Title IX for allowing males who identify as females to compete on female teams.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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