Department of Education says pro-trans policies in 5 Northern Virginia school districts violate Title IX.
The U.S. Department of Education has warned the school districts of Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William that they could lose federal funding or face legal action if they do not roll back policies allowing transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
The investigations, launched in February after a complaint from America First Legal — a group founded by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller — alleges the policies give transgender students more rights than cisgender students under Title IX.
The Education Department has recently stepped up challenges to pro-transgender school policies nationwide, even declaring June, traditionally recognized as Pride Month, as “Title IX Month” and pledging to roll back policies affirming transgender students.
On July 25, the department’s Office for Civil Rights said the policies — some dating to the Obama era and others adopted under Biden — violate Title IX and “have been trampling on the rights of students in the service of an extreme political ideology.”
The Education Department said the districts have 10 days to “voluntarily agree” to a resolution or face losing federal funds and possible referral to the Justice Department, citing a Trump-era order that recognizes only two sexes.
The resolution would force the districts to rescind pro-transgender policies, issue a memo requiring future rules to enforce sex-segregated facilities based on birth sex, and adopt “biology-based” definitions of “male” and “female” when enforcing Title IX.
The five districts, which educate about a third of Virginia’s public school students, are in liberal-leaning areas that resisted Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s “parental rights” agenda. His administration introduced “model policies” requiring schools to inform parents if a student comes out as transgender and to change a student’s records only with written parental consent. Even with parental approval, teachers could refuse to use a student’s preferred pronouns based on personal beliefs.
The policies also required students to use facilities matching their sex at birth, but allowed transgender students to use single-stall or unisex bathrooms.
The model policies sparked protests from parents and students, thousands of whom staged walkouts across Virginia. The five districts ultimately rejected the policies, citing a federal appeals court ruling in former Virginian Gavin Grimm’s case that found transgender bathroom bans violate Title IX.
It is unclear whether repealing the policies would hold up in court, as Virginia school districts remain bound by the 4th Circuit’s ruling in the Grimm case. Complying with the Education Department’s resolution could invite new lawsuits from transgender or LGBTQ advocacy groups.
The U.S. Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of transgender “bathroom bans.”
Officials in the five districts told the Washington Post that they are reviewing the Education Department’s findings while trying to reassure families that transgender students will not face discrimination or lose accommodations.
Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia’s largest district, said in a statement that it “remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all students and staff.”
Loudoun County Public Schools said staff “will continue to ensure full compliance with state and federal laws” while maintaining an environment “where every student can thrive and reach their fullest potential.”
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Court rules state’s expanded “Don’t Say Gay” provisions are unconstitutionally vague, violating the First Amendment and censoring acclaimed literature.
A federal judge in Florida has struck down major parts of the state's expanded "Don't Say Gay" law, ruling that its book banning provisions violate the First Amendment. Approved in 2023, the law not only restricted classroom discussions of LGBTQ identities but also made it easier for any county resident to demand the removal of books from school libraries.
Under the law, once a complaint was filed schools had five days to pull the contested book from shelves, making it unavailable while under review. Districts were required to set up procedures for handling complaints, but those rules were criticized for favoring would-be censors and sidelining parents who opposed bans.
Loudoun County Public Schools will maintain its LGBTQ nondiscrimination policies -- including allowing transgender students to use facilities that match their gender identity -- despite threats of penalties from the U.S. Department of Education.
On August 12, after a closed session meeting, the Loudoun County School Board voted 6-3 to inform the Department of Education that while it was open to further discussion, it could not "at this time" agree to the changes the agency demanded, reports The Washington Post.
In March 2022, Justine Lindsay made history as the NFL’s first openly transgender cheerleader. Three seasons later, the Carolina Panthers TopCat is stepping away from the squad to pursue pageantry and community outreach.
In a statement to Outsports, Lindsay said she wanted to grow beyond the sidelines, striving to be “recognized not just as an NFL cheerleader, but as someone making a positive impact, especially during these uncertain times.”
The announcement marks a reversal, as some news outlets had previously reported she would return for the 2025–2026 season.
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