Wellesley Defends Trans Admissions Policy After Title IX Complaint Targets $5.5 Million in Federal Funds
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 27
Wellesley Defends Trans Admissions Policy After Title IX Complaint Targets $5.5 Million in Federal Funds
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 27
Summary
Wellesley said its admissions policy complies with civil rights law after Defending Education filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Education Department on June 25.
The complaint challenges the college’s rule that any applicant who lives and consistently identifies as a woman may be admitted, arguing that biological male transgender students make the women’s college policy unlawful.
Defending Education said the policy has been in place since 2015, cited Wellesley’s 2024 gender policy and U.S. News data showing a fall 2024 student body that was 1.7% male and 98.3% female.
The group also argued that admitting and housing transgender students in dorms with communal bathrooms eliminates female-only intimate spaces, and asked the Office for Civil Rights to investigate and order remedies.
Federal funding raises the stakes: Defending Education said Wellesley received about $5.5 million in fiscal 2025 and $12 million in fiscal 2024, making it subject to Title IX requirements.