Investigations into Minnesota's transgender athlete policy "elevated" by U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it is elevating investigations into Minnesota's policy on transgender athletes.
The department in February opened an investigation into the Minnesota State High School League for allowing transgender student-athletes to compete in sports consistent with their "gender identity."
The agency says it opened a new civil rights investigation this month into MSHSL and the Minnesota Department of Education.
A June 3 complaint accuses the state of allowing males to compete in female sports and share facilities.
"Minnesota's continued indifference to females' civil rights is completely unacceptable," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
The U.S. Department of Education says the decision to elevate both cases to the Title IX special investigations team was made concerning a player participating in the Minnesota state softball tournament.
In response to the announcement, Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Willie Jett said the department "remains committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive in safe, supportive school communities as their authentic selves."
WCCO has reached out to MSHSL for comment.
The first investigation started after MSHSL made an announcement saying it would not be following an executive order signed by President Trump banning transgender girls and women from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity.
The order, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," mandates that Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, be interpreted as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports. Schools that don't comply with the order risk losing federal funding and could face legal action.
Last month, a Texas-based nonprofit filed a lawsuit in federal court against several Minnesota agencies, including MSHSL, for their transgender athlete policies.
In April, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming the president's two executive orders targeting transgender youth and adults violate both the U.S. Constitution and Title IX. The lawsuit requests the court declare the orders unconstitutional and unlawful, Ellison said.
