Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is launching an investigation into over a dozen blue states and Washington, D.C., for alleged Title IX violations related to President Trump’s executive order, designed to restrict biological males from participating in female sports. The probe includes states like California, New York, and Illinois, which have policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and promote shared access to facilities like locker rooms and bathrooms.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is looking into whether these states are in compliance with Trump’s order, which aims to roll back changes made under former President Joe Biden to Title IX. The investigation focuses on whether states continue to enroll males and females in sports teams based on biological sex and promote policies that allow shared access to facilities. He wrote that these actions constitute a clear violation of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding.
The probe is part of a broader effort to enforce Title IX and protect female athletes, with Cassidy arguing that the Biden administration’s changes to the law, including the inclusion of gender identity, undermined protections for women. The investigation comes as the Supreme Court considers cases that could have wide-reaching implications for Title IX enforcement and the rights of transgender athletes. Cassidy has given state education agencies and colleges until Dec. 8 to submit information for the investigation, including state and institutional Title IX policies, state laws protecting biological females, and records of complaints and disciplinary actions involving students who object to shared spaces.
Cassidy emphasized his commitment to ensuring women and girls have every opportunity to succeed on the field and in the classroom. He stated that this means holding states receiving federal financial assistance accountable for complying with federal law and directives. The investigation highlights the ongoing debate over the interpretation of Title IX and the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports, with the Supreme Court’s upcoming rulings expected to shape the legal landscape significantly.