The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that it has opened civil rights investigations into the Maryland State Department of Education and several Maryland school systems over policies the department says may place gender identity considerations ahead of sex-based protections for female students.
The investigations, launched by the department’s Office for Civil Rights on the 54th anniversary of Title IX being signed into law, involve the state education agency as well as Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, and Frederick County Public Schools. OCR said it will examine whether the agencies violated Title IX by permitting male students to access girls’ private facilities and participate on girls’ athletic teams.
“The practice of allowing students to access sex-separated programs and facilities based solely on self-asserted ‘gender identity’ is deeply troubling and raises significant legal concerns,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.
“Fifty-four years after Title IX was signed into law, the Trump Administration remains steadfast to enforce its promise to protect women and girls. We will fully investigate these allegations and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with federal law,” Richey continued.
According to the Education Department, OCR received a complaint alleging that Maryland’s statewide guidance, along with policies at the district level, requires schools to allow boys to use girls’ locker rooms, restrooms, and overnight accommodations, as well as compete on girls’ sports teams. The complaint further claims that girls who feel uncomfortable are expected to seek alternate arrangements, including what it describes as “distant single-user restrooms.”
The department noted that Title IX bars sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding.
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A spokesperson for the Maryland State Department of Education told local outlet WTOP that the agency is aware of the investigation and “remains committed to supporting all students and upholding the law.”
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“We have no comment while the complaint is under review,” spokeswoman Raven Hill told the outlet via email.
Montgomery County Public Schools spokeswoman Liliana Lopez told the outlet the school district received notification of the probe.
“MCPS remains committed to providing safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for all students and to complying with applicable federal and Maryland laws and regulations. As the matter is now under review by the Office for Civil Rights, we have no further comment at this time,” she said.
Frederick County Public Schools spokesperson Brandon Oland told the outlet that the probe is “the initiation of a fact-finding process” and “not a finding of fault or determination that any violation has occurred.”
“FCPS is reviewing the notice and will cooperate fully with any requests for information,” Oland said. “Because this is an active federal review, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the allegations or speculate regarding the outcome of the investigation.”
– News reached out to Prince George’s County Public Schools but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for – News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton
