The U.S. government says its trying to determine if Washington schools are violating federal law by allowing transgender athletes to play on girls sports teams.
The government’s Title IX Investigations Team announced it’s launching an investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The team is a joint initiative of the Dept of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Multiple Washington State school districts have reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities, thereby raising substantial Title IX concerns,” the news release said.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon calls the investigation a “first-of-its-kind”.
“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,” Secretary McMahon said. “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.”
‘Alarming attempt’
Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal calls the investigation an “alarming attempt to infringe on the rights of our transgender and gender-expansive students.”
He said Washington has had laws in place since 2006, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. He goes on to say that Washington has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics in alignment with their gender identity since 2007.
Reykdal says this fits within the scope of federal law.
Washington has faced concerns from some districts, including Mead and Central Valley in Spokane County, which say they’re conflicted on whether to follow federal or state law.
The state declined to pass laws this legislative session that would change the guidelines for participation in sports.
“My job as the leader of this constitutional office is to communicate, uphold, and enforce the law. My office will enforce our current laws as we are required to do until Congress changes the law and/or federal courts invalidate Washington state’s laws. Unless, and until that happens, we will be following Washington state’s laws, not a president’s political leanings expressed through unlawful orders.”
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