DOE investigates Oregon school district and athletic association over trans athletes in girls’ sports

The federal government is taking action against Oregon’s largest public school district and the state’s primary high school athletic governing body for likely Title IX violations. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) informed Portland Public Schools this week of an investigation after transgender-identifying athlete Ada Gallagher, a biological male, won two events at a track meet last week. 

The runner also won a state championship last season, one of at least five transgender-identifying athletes to do so nationwide last spring. Attendees booed the male during the competition. 

The government also sent a letter to the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) notifying it that its “gender identity participation” likely violates Title IX. 

“We will not allow the Portland Public Schools District or any other educational entity that receives federal funds to trample on the antidiscrimination protections that women and girls are guaranteed under law,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in an OCR release. “President Trump and Secretary McMahon have been steadfast in their commitment to protect the rights of women and girls. OCR will use every lawful means to ensure that no female athlete is denied equal athletic opportunities or robbed of her rightful accolades.” 

OSAA’s transgender athlete policy says it “allows students to participate for the athletic or activity program of their consistently asserted gender identity while providing a fair and safe environment for all students.” 

The civil rights office has also investigated athletic bodies in Massachusetts, California, Minnesota and Maine for allowing males to compete in women’s sports.  

These investigations come in the wake of Donald Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies to withhold funding from states and schools that allow males to compete in girls’ sports. 

The office has determined that Maine is violating Title IX and will likely take further action against the state in the coming weeks. So far, the Trump administration has only paused about $30 million in federal funding to the University of Maine system, although the state and its various departments receive much more than that. 

Multiple states and the NCAA have updated their policies to bar transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. Georgia may be the next state to ban it.

About 80% of Americans support keeping transgender-identifying males out of women’s sports.