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6d ago

Connecticut School Board Defies Federal Demand to Roll Back Transgender Athlete Protections

A Department of Education probe into Title IX compliance threatens to cut federal funding over districts’ transgender sports policies.

Supporters of transgender students at a rally Tuesday night outside Cromwell High School. (Don Stacom/The Hartford Courant)
Cromwell's school system is under federal investigation over allowing transgender girls to participate in women's sports. (Don Stacom/The Hartford Courant)
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating Canton Public Schools for potential violations of Title IX. Bloomfield and Cromwell districts are also under invesigation. Credit: Stephen Busemeyer / CT Mirror

Overview

  • The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating Cromwell and other Connecticut districts for potential Title IX violations related to policies allowing transgender students to compete on teams matching their gender identity.
  • On June 3, Cromwell’s school board unanimously rejected a five-page settlement offer that would have barred its transgender athletes from CIAC events and imposed restrictions on restroom and locker room use.
  • Federal officials warned that failure to sign the agreement within one week could lead to Justice Department enforcement action and risk nearly $1 million in annual federal education aid for Cromwell.
  • Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has denounced the investigation as “mean-spirited and unlawful,” and Gov. Ned Lamont faces calls to coordinate a statewide legal defense of local school districts.
  • Advocacy groups have rallied in Cromwell and state education leaders expect similar federal reviews in districts such as Bloomfield and Canton under the Trump administration’s national Title IX enforcement push.