Public school officials in Portland, Oregon, are under federal scrutiny following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education regarding a transgender student-athlete’s participation in a girls’ track and field event last week.
The inquiry comes in the wake of President Trump’s return to office in January, along with an executive order stating that the federal government will recognize “only two sexes.” This directive has paved the way for investigations concerning the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, an issue that has become a contentious topic among many Republican leaders.
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights has initiated a probe into both the Portland school district and the Oregon School Activities Association, a nonprofit that governs high school sports across the state. Federal officials are alleging that both entities violated Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination, which has been used to challenge the participation of transgender women and girls in female sports.
The investigation centers on an incident involving a transgender runner who competed in the girls’ division of a March 19 interscholastic track and field meet, where she won first place in two events. The civil rights office also noted concerns regarding the trans athlete’s use of the girls’ locker room during the competition, suggesting it may breach Title IX regulations.
The civil rights office has communicated with Kimberly Armstrong, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, and the activities association to inform them about the investigation. They are specifically reviewing the activities association’s “gender identity participation” policy to assess whether it conflicts with Title IX requirements.
This policy, developed in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Education, aims to provide students with the opportunity to participate in athletic programs that reflect their gender identities while ensuring safe and fair standards for all athletes. The activities association asserts that its policy fosters equitable eligibility and promotes fair competition among member schools, thereby expanding access to interscholastic activities.
The federal investigation was prompted by a complaint alleging that the school district and activities association allowed an athlete not assigned female at birth to compete in the girls’ track and field division for the past two seasons. The complaint highlighted that the trans runner had previously won both the girls’ 200-meter and 400-meter races at an interscholastic championship meet in Portland in both the previous year and the current year.
