Feds launch Title IX investigations at three Michigan schools

Federal education officials began investigating three Michigan school districts for possible sex-based discrimination violations under Title IX, according to a Thursday statement from the Department of Education. Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools, and the Chippewa Valley School District are suspected of allowing students to join sports teams and use locker rooms conflicting with their sex.

The education department's civil rights office received a complaint that Ann Arbor Public Schools risked the safety of female athletes by allowing a boy to compete on an all-girls’ volleyball team. The school district also allowed the male player to use the female-only locker rooms to undress, according to the education department.

Monroe Public Schools allegedly required a girls’ volleyball team to compete against a team with a boy, then forced the female athletes to share locker rooms with the male player. Parents reported that Monroe failed to respond to their concerns of female discrimination and the risks tied to putting girls in inappropriate and unsafe situations.

Similarly, Chippewa Valley School District allegedly allowed a female student to use a male-only locker room, according to the education department. The convoluted practice of letting students participate on sex-segregated teams and make use of locker rooms based on a self-professed gender identity is unsafe and illegal, according to a separate Education Department statement.

How are the districts responding? Monroe Public Schools told WORLD on Friday that an independent investigator previously looked into the complaint and characterized it as unsubstantiated. Monroe is dedicated to fostering a secure and nurturing educational setting for all students by operating in full compliance with all state and federal statutes, the school system wrote.

WORLD reached out to Ann Arbor and Chippewa Valley for comment, along with the state education department. This story will be updated with any response received.