Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Department of Education opened investigations into 15 K-12 schools over allegedly allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' and women's sports.
The department announced the investigations on Wednesday, along with investigations into one university and New York and Hawaii's education departments. The K-12 investigations target school districts in California, Connecticut, Maine, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.
The Trump administration has pursued blocking transgender athletes from being involved in girls' and women's athletic programs, beginning with an executive order within weeks of taking office last year.
The executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" orders the Education Department to penalize schools for allowing transgender athletes to participate in women's sports. Penalties may include rescission of all federal funding.
The Trump administration claims that allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports is a Title IX violation.
