The Department of Education (ED) on Tuesday announced new investigations into the Maryland State Department of Education and several Maryland school districts over policies that allegedly favor gender ideology over biological reality, at the expense of female students.
ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened the probes on the 54th anniversary of the signing of Title IX into state department of education, as well as Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, and Frederick County Public Schools (the Districts). OCR is looking to determine if the entities have violated Title IX by allowing boys to access girls’ intimate facilities and sports teams.
“The practice of allowing students to access sex-separated programs and facilities based solely on self-asserted ‘gender identity’ is deeply troubling and raises significant legal concerns,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.
“Fifty-four years after Title IX was signed into law, the Trump Administration remains steadfast to enforce its promise to protect women and girls. We will fully investigate these allegations and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with federal law,” Richey continued.
ED said OCR received a complaint that Maryland’s statewide guidance and district-level policies mandate schools to allow boys to use girls’ locker rooms, restrooms, and overnight accommodations and compete on girls’ sports teams. The complaint also alleges that the burden is on female students to seek alternative arrangements and facilities if they are uncomfortable, “including distant single-user restrooms.”
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs and activities as a condition of receiving federal funding, ED said.
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A Maryland State Department of Education spokeswoman told local news outlet WTOP that it is aware of the investigation and “remains committed to supporting all students and upholding the law.”
“We have no comment while the complaint is under review,” spokeswoman Raven Hill told the outlet via email.
Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Liliana Lopez told the outlet the school district received notification of the probe.
“MCPS remains committed to providing safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for all students and to complying with applicable federal and Maryland laws and regulations. As the matter is now under review by the Office for Civil Rights, we have no further comment at this time,” she said.
Frederick County Public Schools spokesperson Brandon Oland told the outlet that the probe is “the initiation of a fact-finding process” and “not a finding of fault or determination that any violation has occurred.”
“FCPS is reviewing the notice and will cooperate fully with any requests for information,” Oland said. “Because this is an active federal review, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the allegations or speculate regarding the outcome of the investigation.”
Breitbart News reached out to Prince George’s County Public Schools but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton