The Department of Education announced on Friday that five Northern Virginia school districts are in violation of civil rights law for policies allowing males to access female spaces on the basis of “gender identity” instead of biological reality.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) said it concluded its investigation into the districts — including Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools — and found them allegedly in violation of Title IX for sex discrimination. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 bars discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
“Although this type of behavior was tolerated by the previous Administration, it’s time for Northern Virginia’s experiment with radical gender ideology and unlawful discrimination to come to an end. OCR’s investigation definitively shows that these five Virginia school districts have been trampling on the rights of students in the service of an extreme political ideology,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement.
“The Trump Administration will not sacrifice the safety, dignity, and innocence of America’s young women and girls at the altar of an anti-scientific illiberalism,” he added.
The OCR initiated its investigation into the school districts in February after receiving complaints alleging that they had “similar anti-discrimination policies pertaining to ‘transgender-identifying’ students, which violate the sex-based protections of Title IX,” the department said, noting:P
The Divisions are also the subject of several lawsuits, informal complaints, and reports, which allege that students in the Divisions avoid using school restrooms whenever possible because of the schools’ policies, and that female students have witnessed male students inappropriately touching other students and watching female students change in a female locker room.
OCR said it has sent proposed Resolution Agreements to each of the school districts, offering them the chance to agree to comply with Title IX or risk enforcement action, including referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The department’s proposed agreement asks the districts to:
- Rescind the policies and/or regulations that allow students to access intimate facilities based on their “gender identity” rather than their sex;
- Issue a memorandum to each Division school explaining that any future policies related to access to intimate facilities must be consistent with Title IX by separating students strictly on the basis of sex, and that Title IX ensures women’s equal opportunity in any education program or activity including athletic programs; and
- Adopt biology-based definitions of the words “male” and “female” in all practices and policies relating to Title IX.
When reached for comment, Prince William County Public Schools referred Breitbart News to its public statement on the matter, saying the district “will conduct a thorough review of the [resolution agreement] and respond appropriately through the proper channels.”
“PWCS remains firmly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for all students and staff. Our policies and practices are guided by our core values and by applicable federal and state laws,” the statement reads. “We continue to uphold our longstanding nondiscrimination policy, which prohibits discrimination in employment and in the provision of educational programs, services, and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.”
“PWCS will continue to work collaboratively with OCR and all stakeholders to ensure compliance with Title IX and to support the well-being and dignity of every student,” the district concluded.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) told Breitbart News it has been notified of the OCR’s findings and “is conducting a thorough review of these documents with staff and legal counsel in order to assess the next steps.”
“ACPS remains committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students in accordance with federal and state laws,” the district continued.
A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) similarly said the district is reviewing the allegations and agreement “in detail” and “will respond after we have completed our review.”
“FCPS remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff,” the spokesperson told Breitbart News.
A spokesperson for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) said they are reviewing the department’s allegations “in consideration of next steps.”
“LCPS will continue to ensure full compliance with state and federal laws,” a spokesperson said. “LCPS remains committed to maintaining a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive and reach their fullest potential.”
Arlington Public Schools did not respond to Breitbart’s request for comment by time of publication.
Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, said she is “encouraged” by the Trump administration’s effort to hold the school districts accountable.
“Today, we at Defending Education are incredibly gratified to learn that a group of Northern Virginia School Districts–many of which were ground zero for the social experimentation of transgender ‘inclusion’ in women’s sports, bathrooms, and private spaces–are now facing the music for failing to adhere to the plain text and meaning of Title IX,” Perry said.
“As a mother, as a Virginian, and as former senior counsel to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, I am encouraged to see that this Administration is taking the enforcement of long-standing civil rights laws seriously,” she added. “Title IX was passed to guarantee women’s educational equality in its myriad manifestations. But intransigent schools in the Commonwealth seem to have forgotten that. We look forward to a return to sanity and the promise of true scholastic equality that our grandmothers fought so hard to secure.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.