On Friday, the Ministry of Education revealed that a Colorado school district is breaching federal regulations with a broad “gender identity” policy that undermines female students.
The Department of Education stated that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has completed an investigation into Jefferson County Public Schools, finding violations of Title IX. This includes allowing male students access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, overnight accommodations, and participation in women’s sports teams.
Specifically, the OCR discovered that the school district’s policies enable students to use facilities and join sports teams based on their declared “gender identity” rather than their biological sex. In fact, the OCR received a roster indicating that male students could occupy as many as 61 positions on the district’s women’s sports teams.
“The findings today indicate widespread violations of Title IX by Jefferson County Public Schools, denying fairness and equality to female students by permitting men into private facilities and athletic spaces. Prioritizing ‘gender identity’ over equal access for female students is simply unacceptable,” said Kimberly Ritchie, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Civil Rights.
In June 2025, the OCR began investigating the district after reports that it removed single-sex accommodations for school trips.
The OCR has presented the district with a proposed resolution agreement, allowing it to voluntarily address the alleged Title IX violations within ten days or face imminent enforcement actions.
This agreement would require the district to amend its gender identity policies to ensure protections for female students, publicly commit to biologically-based definitions of “male” and “female,” and implement measures where facilities, sports teams, and accommodations are designated by biological sex.
“The District must act swiftly to rectify these violations and safeguard future generations of girls from gender discrimination. The Trump Administration is committed to restoring female athletes’ safety, opportunities, and legal protections,” Ritchie emphasized.
TotalNews reached out to Jefferson County Public Schools for a statement, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The Ministry of Education reiterated that Title IX forbids discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities as a prerequisite for receiving federal funding.
