Education Department Opens 18 Investigations Over Trans AthletesThe Education Department on Wednesday opened investigations into 15 school districts and three colleges for allowing transgender girls and women to play girls’ and women’s sports.The investigations were announced one day after the Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to arguments from conservative activists that states can allow bans on trans athletes from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams.Trump officials allege that these school districts' trans-inclusive sports policies violate Title IX, the 1972 statute that bars federal funding for schools that discriminate on the basis of sex. In the year since his return to office, Trump has threatened — and rescinded – federal funds from numerous schools and colleges that he says have allowed trans women to play women’s sports. Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, told the Washington Post that the Education Department was “aggressively pursuing allegations of discrimination against women and girls” by schools that “allow males to compete in women’s sports.” This is the administration’s latest escalation to target states and public school systems with trans inclusive sports policies — including districts in New York, California, Washington, Hawaii, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Currently, 27 states have passed laws that bar trans women and girls from playing women’s sports. See All UpdatesClose