Trump admin investigates Portland schools over Title IX violations after trans runner wins girls' track meet

The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launched an investigation into the Portland Public School District on Tuesday after a trans-identified male student athlete dominated female competitors in a recent high school track meet. The Oregon school district has been accused of violating Title IX. Additionally, the OCR has opened a probe into the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) over its "gender identity participation" policy that allows students to compete in sporting categories based on their gender identity.

The Office for Civil Rights said in a press release that the investigation is in response to a complaint that had been filed after the District and OSAA allowed a trans-identifying male student athlete to compete in the girls' track and field division over the last two seasons.

Aayden "Ada" Gallagher, a transgender junior at McDaniel High School, won both the girls' 200-meter and 400-meter sprint races at the 6A-1 Portland Interscholastic League Championship in 2024. Most recently, Gallagher dominated female competitors in the same categories, slashing season records in both the 200-meter and 400-meter. This occurred on March 19 at a regular season Portland Interscholastic League meet.

"The male athlete took the first-place trophy from female competitors in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes, beating the closest female racer in the 400-meter dash by over seven seconds and setting season records," the OCR said.

The OCR also accused the district of allowing the transgender athlete to use female changing facilities, which is a violation of federal law. The government notified the Portland Interscholastic League's governing council that its "gender identity participation" policy "appears to violate Title IX."

"We will not allow the Portland Public Schools District or any other educational entity that receives federal funds to trample on the antidiscrimination protections that women and girls are guaranteed under law," Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, said in a press release. "President Trump and Secretary McMahon have been steadfast in their commitment to protect the rights of women and girls. OCR will use every lawful means to ensure that no female athlete is denied equal athletic opportunities or robbed of her rightful accolades."

On February 5, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men out of Women's Sports." The order prohibits biological men from competing in women's sports and threatens to pull federal funding for schools that fail to comply.

A recent statement from the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) acknowledged that despite Trump's executive order, "Oregon and federal discrimination laws govern school activity participation, and those laws have not changed."