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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced Wednesday that it has 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 girls’ and women’s sports.
School districts facing high-profile controversies over transgender athletes were among those under investigation. The targeted districts 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 would allow men to compete in women’s sports. Time and again, the Trump administration has made its position clear: violations of women’s rights, dignity, and fairness are unacceptable,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a press release.
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A protester holds a sign in front of the Supreme Court during debates over state laws banning transgender girls and women from playing on school sports teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
“We will spare no effort in these investigations to defend women’s right to equal access to education programs – a fight that began more than half a century ago and is far from over.”
The schools under investigation were:
- 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 School District (New York)
- New York City Department of Education (New York)
- Great Valley School District (Pennsylvania)
- Champlain Valley School District (Vermont)
- Cheney (Washington) Public Schools
- Sultan School District No. 311 (Washington)
- Tacoma, Washington Public Schools
- Vancouver, Washington Public Schools
- PK Press Club Digital contacted every school and district.
Districts are accused of maintaining “discriminatory policies or practices on the basis of sex by allowing students to participate in sports based on their ‘gender identity,’ not their biological sex,” the Department of Education said. “These policies endanger both the safety and equal opportunities of 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 review by 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 laws. The District’s policies were adopted in good faith and are aligned with applicable law, and we will cooperate fully with all requests related to this matter.
INSIDE SCOTUS HEARING WOULD BE A TURNING POINT IN CULTURAL WAR AGAINST TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS
Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks to the crowd as protesters gather outside the Supreme Court as she hears arguments on state laws banning transgender girls and women from playing on school sports teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/José Luis Magana)
OCR’s announcement comes as the Supreme Court heard arguments in two landmark cases aimed at protecting women’s and women’s sports.
At issue is whether laws in Idaho and West Virginia, which prohibit transgender athletes who identify as women from playing on teams matching their gender identity, discriminate on the basis of sex.
In the case of Little v. Hecox, a biological male who sought to compete on the Boise State University women’s track and field and cross country teams, argued that Idaho’s law, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, violated the Equal Protection Clause by excluding transgender women.
West Virginia v. BPJ focuses on a 15-year-old transgender athlete who identifies as a girl and who argued that the state’s ban violated both the Constitution and Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs.
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State lawyers defending the bans argue that separating sports based on biological sex preserves fairness and safety for female athletes and is consistent with Title IX’s definition of sex.
