More than 100 school board members from 40 school districts across Minnesota have signed a letter to state leaders urging them to comply with Title IX by barring males from competing in female sports and using female-only spaces.
“The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League’s (MSHSL) ongoing non-compliance with Title IX poses a grave threat to the safety, fairness, and future of Minnesota students,” said Lisa Atkinson, a spokesperson for the coalition and a school board member in the Prior Lake-Savage district.
“This isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a moral one. Time is running out, and the consequences are enormous: hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for our public schools are at risk. That funding is essential to the communities we serve,” she added.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education recently announced that MDE and MSHSL are in violation of Title IX.
Specifically, the federal government said MSHSL and MDE violated Title IX by allowing 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.
MDE and MSHSL were given 10 days to accept the terms of a resolution agreement put forward by the federal agencies or risk “enforcement action.”
“Our letter reflects the unwavering commitment of individuals and organizations across Minnesota who refuse to stand by while students are denied equal protection under federal law. If enforcement actions are triggered, every student in the state will feel the impact. Our state leaders must act now—there is no justification for putting students and schools in jeopardy by continuing to violate Title IX,” Atkinson said.
The coalition of school board members launched a website, titleixmn.com, to provide an opportunity for additional school board members to add their name to the list of signatories. Their letter is addressed to MDE Commissioner Willie Jett, MSHSL Board President Don Peschel and Executive Director Erich Martens, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Luke Sprinkel contributed to this story.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
