Feds say these three Michigan districts violated Title IX rules

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy.

The U.S. Department of Education says Title IX investigations have been opened into three additional Michigan school districts, this time over allegations the districts are allowing students to compete on athletic teams and use locker rooms based on their gender identities.

The districts include Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, and Chippewa Valley Schools. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, which will soon move to the U.S. Department of Justice, will conduct the investigations.

A press release from the Education Department alleges the Ann Arbor district allowed a transgender student to compete on the girls volleyball team, the Monroe district required the girls volleyball team to compete against a team with a transgender student and share locker rooms with the student, and the Chippewa Valley district permitted a female student athlete to use the male-only locker room.

“The convoluted practice of allowing students to participate on sex-segregated athletic teams and make use of locker rooms based on ‘gender identity’ is not only known to be unsafe for students, but is a direct violation of federal law,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in the press release.

Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. The Trump administration has used it to target transgender student protections.

A spokesperson for the Chippewa Valley district said in a statement to Bridge Michigan that it had yet to receive a copy of the complaint and learned about the investigation from the media.

“As a matter of practice, the district cooperates fully with any review conducted by the Office for Civil Rights,” Diane Blain, the spokesperson, said in the statement. “Chippewa Valley Schools remains committed to providing a safe, supportive, and respectful learning environment for all students and to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations. We will continue to work cooperatively with the Office for Civil Rights throughout its review process.”

Messages Chalkbeat left with representatives in the Ann Arbor and Monroe districts were not immediately returned.

The Justice Department earlier this year opened Title IX investigations into the Detroit Public Schools Community District, the Lansing School District, and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

The department at the time said it is investigating whether the districts have included “sexual orientation or gender ideology content” in any classroom and if parents were notified of their rights to opt their children out of such instruction. It will also determine if transgender students are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

The status of those investigations is unclear.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.