Department of Education opens Title IX investigation into Smith College
Updated
Updated · CNN · May 4
Department of Education opens Title IX investigation into Smith College
13 articles · Updated · CNN · May 4
The probe targets the 155-year-old Massachusetts women’s college over admitting trans women and allowing access to dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms and athletic teams.
The department says Title IX’s single-sex exception applies to biological sex, while Smith says it follows civil rights laws and does not comment on pending investigations.
Opened after a complaint by conservative group Defending Education, the case fits Trump’s broader rollback of transgender protections that LGBTQ advocates call a weaponisation of anti-discrimination law.
How will the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling redefine student rights and college policies on gender nationwide?
How do colleges balance inclusive missions with federal rules that tie funding to a biological definition of sex?
Smith College vs. Federal Title IX Enforcement: The Clash Over Transgender Admissions and Women's College Identity
Overview
In 2015, Smith College adopted a policy admitting transgender women, which led the conservative group Defending Education to file a Title IX complaint in 2020. This complaint triggered a federal investigation by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights during the Trump administration, which had rescinded earlier protections for transgender students. The investigation risked Smith losing federal funding due to the administration's strict biological definition of sex under Title IX. Meanwhile, landmark court cases like Gavin Grimm's affirmed protections for transgender students, and the Biden administration later restored inclusive Title IX interpretations. The Smith case highlights ongoing legal and political conflicts over gender identity in education, with peer institutions moving toward trans-inclusive policies amid uncertainty.