Overview:
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) retaliates against the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), claiming that both organizations plan to allow male athletes to compete in women’s sports and use women’s intimate facilities.
This week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced directed investigations into the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), claiming that both organizations plan to allow male athletes to compete in women’s sports and use women’s intimate facilities.
“The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor in a press release. “OCR’s Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect, and equality that the Trump Administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.”
This investigation stems from the Trump administration’s executive Order Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, which states that “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities,” and to take “all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.”
Despite Trump’s executive order, both the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIL) have affirmed they will allow students in the state to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity, despite President Donald Trump’s Executive Order.
“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” a CIF statement provided.
The investigations of these athletic associations are just one of others focused on doing away with DEI efforts.
In addition to California and Minnesota, the OCR launched directed investigations into San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for reported violations of Title IX. OCR also clarified that they are reviewing athletic participation policies at several schools to evaluate their compliance with Title IX protections for female athletes.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces federal civil rights laws for federal funding programs, including all K-12 public schools and most colleges and universities. OCR is responsible for protecting students from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), sex (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972), age (Age Discrimination Act of 1975), and disability status (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990).
