On January 14, 2026. the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced a string of Title IX investigations into state and local school systems with policies that allow transgender students to play on sports teams aligning with their gender identity. The 18 investigations come just a day after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could decide the future of transgender student athlete participation on sports teams. ″These policies jeopardize both the safety and the equal opportunities of women in educational programs and activities,” the USDE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) said in the announcement.
The investigations were launched into large and small public education systems and colleges, including the New York City Department of Education, Washington’s Tacoma Public Schools, and the Hawaii State Department of Education. A handful of investigations were also launched into districts in California and Maine.
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