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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced Wednesday that it launched 18 Title IX investigations in several school districts across the country, a day after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the fight to protect women’s and girls’ sports.
School districts with high-profile transgender athlete controversies were among those investigated. The districts targeted were in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.
“In the same week that the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the future of Title IX, OCR is aggressively pursuing allegations of discrimination against women and girls by entities that allegedly allow men to compete in women’s sports. Time and time again, the Trump administration has made its position clear: violations of women’s rights, dignity are unacceptable to and justice,” said the Kimberey aide, who is unacceptable to civil rights, Kimberey said. a news release.
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A protester holds a sign outside the Supreme Court during arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“We will leave no stone unturned in these investigations to uphold women’s right to equal access to educational programs – a fight that started over half a century ago and is far from over.”
The schools surveyed included the following:
- Jurupa School District (California)
- Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (California)
- Santa Monica College (California)
- Santa Rosa Junior College (California)
- Waterbury Public Schools (Connecticut)
- Hawaii State Department of Education (Hawaii)
- Regional School Unit 19 (Maine)
- Regional School Unit 57 (Maine)
- Foxborough Public Schools (Massachusetts)
- University of Nevada-Reno (Nevada)
- Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District (New York)
- New York City Department of Education (New York)
- Great Valley School District (Pennsylvania)
- Champlain Valley School District (Vermont)
- Cheney Public Schools (Washington)
- Sultan School District No. 311 (Washington)
- Tacoma Public Schools (Washington)
- Vancouver Public Schools (Washington)
- Pakinomist Digital reached out to every school and district.
The districts are accused of maintaining “policies or practices that discriminate on the basis of gender by allowing students to participate in sports based on their ‘gender identity,’ not biological sex,” the Department of Education said. “These policies jeopardize both the safety and equal opportunities for women in educational programs and activities.”
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District responded to a request for comment.
“The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has been notified of a notification from the U.S. Department of Education,” a school official said. “Our priority has always been to provide safe, respectful and inclusive learning environments for all students, while meeting our obligations under state and federal law. The district’s policies were adopted in good faith and are consistent with applicable law, and we will fully cooperate with all requests related to this matter.”
INSIDE SCOTUS HEARING TO BE A TURNING POINT IN THE CULTURE WAR OVER TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon addresses the crowd as protesters gather outside the Supreme Court hearing arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
OCR’s announcement came as the Supreme Court heard arguments in two landmark cases to protect women’s and girls’ sports.
At issue is whether laws in Idaho and West Virginia that prohibit transgender athletes who identify as women from playing on teams that match their gender identity discriminate based on gender.
In the case of Little v. Hecox, a biological male trying to compete on the women’s track and cross country team at Boise State University claimed that Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act violated the Equal Protection Clause by excluding transgender women.
West Virginia v. BPJ is about a 15-year-old transgender athlete who identifies as a girl, who argued that the state’s ban violated both the Constitution and Title IX’s ban on gender discrimination in federally funded educational programs.
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Lawyers for the states defending the bans argue that segregating sports based on biological sex preserves fairness and safety for female athletes and is consistent with Title IX’s definition of sex.
