The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday that Minnesota violated federal anti-discrimination law by allowing males to compete in female sports.
The announcement comes months after the federal government launched an investigation into Minnesota for violations of Title IX, a law which requires federally funded institutions to give women equal access to athletic opportunities.
In a press release, Director Paula Stannard of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights said “Minnesota permits male athletes to compete in sports designated for females, which denies females the equal opportunities under Title IX that they deserve in athletic competition.”
Specifically, the federal government said the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) and Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) allowed males to participate in lacrosse, ski, volleyball, softball, and track and field teams that were designated for females.
Earlier this year, Alpha News reported on a transgender student athlete who competed on Champlin Park’s girls’ softball team and pitched a series of shutouts en route to winning the state softball championship.
According to the federal government’s findings, MDE, MSHSL, and various school districts knowingly allowed males into female sports which subsequently deprived female students of athletic opportunities, fair competition, and exposed them to greater risk of injury. The federal government also said males were allowed to use female intimate spaces.
In turn, the federal government issued a proposal to bring Minnesota into compliance with Title IX. That proposal requires MDE and MSHSL to rescind guidance which allows male to compete in female sports and issue a notice to all federally funded institutions that males are not to participate in female sports.
Additionally, the federal government’s proposed remedy requires MDE to restore all titles and records to female students who were deprived of those accolades by a male student athlete. MDE would also be required to issue a letter of apology to those female athletes.
MSHSL and MDE were instructed to resolve the Title IX violations within 10 days of the issuance of the findings or “risk imminent enforcement action.”
“Violating one girls’ rights is one too many,” said Renee Carlson, general counsel for True North Legal. “But the principles affirmed today are deeper than fairness in sports. We’re in a cultural battle over truth—about the real, physiological differences between men and women. Those differences matter because they are inherent in God’s design. They are what make girls’ sports worth protecting.”
In a statement to Alpha News, an MDE spokesperson said the agency “is reviewing the letter and remains committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe and supportive school community.”
A spokesperson for the MSHSL said they do not comment on litigation or legal matters.
“Today’s decision by the U.S. Department of Education is an important step in protecting the promise of Title IX,” said Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester. “Girls deserve to enter their competition knowing they are facing other girls, with their scholarships, records, privacy, and dignity safeguarded, and with the full confidence that their hard work and talent will be measured fairly.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
