Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., is investigating over a dozen blue states and Washington, D.C., for alleged violations of Title IX related to President Donald Trump’s order restricting transgender athletes from participating in female sports programs. The probe scrutinizes state compliance with the executive order, which aims to roll back changes made under former President Joe Biden, who expanded Title IX protections to include gender identity.
Cassidy’s investigation is specifically targeting the inclusion of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, as well as policies that allow shared access to facilities like locker rooms and bathrooms. He has sent over 19 letters to state and collegiate education officials, accusing them of continuing to enroll males and females in sports teams not matching their biological sex and promoting policies that allow shared access to facilities. This, he argues, is a clear violation of Title IX under the current legal interpretation.
The senator has given state education agencies and colleges until December 8 to provide detailed information, including Title IX policies on gender identity, state laws protecting biological females, steps taken to comply with Trump’s order, and records of complaints related to shared spaces. The probe comes amid ongoing Supreme Court debates over Title IX enforcement and whether biological male athletes can compete in women’s sports. These cases could have significant implications for the interpretation and application of the law across the country.
Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, stated that under the Biden administration, several changes were made to Title IX that he considered unlawful, including redefining sex to include gender identity. He emphasized that his priority is ensuring that states receiving federal funding comply with federal laws and directives, particularly those protecting women and girls in sports. The investigation reflects the broader political tension over how Title IX should be interpreted and enforced, with the administration and its opponents holding contrasting views on the role of gender identity in educational policies.