American First Legal (AFL) reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Education (ED) on Thursday, urging them to look into five Virginia school districts that they allege are ignoring certain federal laws.
The schools in question—Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William—are situated in northern Virginia. It’s been reported that their policy allows students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity, which, according to AFL, violates federal law. The Trump administration had previously interpreted Title IX, which aims to protect women and girls from discrimination, as being based on biological sex, seeking to prevent boys from accessing these protected spaces.
In a press statement, AFL expressed frustration, asserting that these school districts are disregarding the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court rulings, which they argue is disrespectful to parents and the wider community. The DOJ and ED did not respond to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
AFL contends that these districts misapply a prior court decision regarding trans students, insisting that it unfairly forces individuals to use the facilities assigned to their sex at birth. They believe such decisions could be overturned and that the specific circumstances of that case shouldn’t apply universally to all school districts.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court chose not to hear that particular case in 2021, leaving the matter to the lower court for resolution.
AFL also raises concerns that the districts’ policies may keep children’s gender identities concealed from their parents, suggesting a lack of transparency. There’s a guideline from Fairfax County Public Schools indicating the necessity to maintain privacy for trans students who may not have supportive families. The policy does not require students or parents to confirm their gender identities.
Despite a lack of response from the five districts to DCNF’s requests for comments, AFL criticizes the use of the previous court ruling as justification for current policies, describing it as an attempt to manipulate the discourse surrounding public education.
Meanwhile, these schools are under federal investigation related to previous claims made by AFL regarding the legality of their gender identity policies. Fairfax County, in particular, has attracted scrutiny for allegedly changing their Magnet School admissions policy to discriminate based on race.
Loudoun County Public Schools gained notoriety in 2021 for attempts to conceal multiple sexual assault allegations, and the Virginia Attorney General is once again reviewing the district in light of complaints from male students about a female peer recording them in the boys’ locker room.
Arlington Public Schools also faced criticism when it was revealed that their policy permitted sex offenders to observe young girls in locker rooms for several months before arrests were made in December 2024.
