Jeffco schools push back against Trump administration
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Jefferson County Schools is rebuking the Trump administration's claim that the district violated federal civil rights protections by allowing transgender students to compete in girls' sports and access their facilities.
Why it matters: The clash between the Trump administration and Colorado's second-largest school district highlights the widening national debate over how federal civil rights law applies to transgender students.
The dispute could also lead to a legal showdown over the interaction of federal policy, which defines sex based on biology, and state laws that protect gender identity and transgender students' rights.
What they're saying: Jeffco officials said in a statement that the administration's legal arguments are erroneous and violate state law.
- "Providing equal access to programs and services for all Jeffco students, including those who are transgender, does not violate Title IX," the statement read.
State of play: The U.S. Department of Education said last Friday that an investigation found Jeffco schools violated Title IX by allowing transgender students to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity.
- The federal inquiry claimed that students identified by the agency as male occupied 61 roster positions on girls' teams, though it is unclear how the agency determined that number.
- Federal investigators also cited policies allowing transgender students to share overnight accommodations consistent with their gender identity on school trips.
The latest: The agency's civil rights office ordered the district to rescind or revise the policies and adopt definitions of male and female based on "biological sex."
- If not done in 10 days, the district would face potential enforcement action that could include the loss of federal funding, U.S. officials said.
- "The district's decision to prioritize 'gender identity' over ensuring equal access for its female students is unconscionable," said assistant secretary for civil rights Kimberly Richey in a statement.
The big picture: The threat from the Trump administration is part of a broader campaign against policies supporting transgender students' rights.
- The administration took aim at Denver Public Schools last August after the state's largest district created a gender-neutral bathroom at East High School.
- The district never complied with administration demands to convert it back to a single-sex bathroom and still hasn't heard back about the policy, a spokesperson told the Denver Post.
What we're watching: In tandem with the federal action, the debate about transgender students playing sports not aligned with their biological sex is poised for the Colorado ballot in November.
- A measure approved for the ballot Monday would base transgender students' access to play on K-12 and collegiate sports on the students' "biological reproductive system," according to the measure's language.