HHS’ Civil Rights Office Acts to Promote Fairness in Girls’ Sports

OCR Investigates Minnesota for Allowing Males to Compete in Sports Reserved for Females

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announces an investigation of the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League (Minnesota) under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).  The investigation will examine whether Minnesota engaged in discrimination on the basis of sex by allowing male athletes to compete on sports teams reserved for females.  

OCR enforces Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities of HHS funding recipients, such as the Minnesota Department of Education.  The Minnesota Department of Education has delegated responsibility over interscholastic sports competitions to the Minnesota State High School League, and as a result, it must also comply with Title IX.  

“Females cannot be relegated to the sidelines under Title IX,” said OCR Director Paula M. Stannard. “As a recipient of Federal funds, Title IX requires Minnesota to ensure fair and safe opportunities for females to compete on sex-segregated teams – regardless of state law obligations.”

OCR’s investigation responds to the recent participation of a male athlete in a female-only high school softball championship.  The male athlete’s participation was instrumental, leading the team to win the state title. 

Minnesota’s Attorney General has advised the Minnesota State High School League to follow state law and defy President Trump’s Executive Order on Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports, (E.O. 14201), which protects women “as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”  Despite a U.S. Department of Justice letter restating the Administration’s position on Title IX, Minnesota has elevated state law above Title IX.

OCR’s action is part of a larger initiative to defend women and restore biological truth to the Federal government.

If you believe that you or someone else has been discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, or the exercise of conscience in programs or activities that HHS directly operates or for which HHS provides Federal financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights at: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/index.html.

Follow HHS OCR on X (formerly Twitter) at @HHSOCR.