The Trump administration has launched a federal investigation into Portland Public Schools (PPS) in Oregon after a transgender-identifying biological male competed in a girls’ high school track meet and accessed female locker room facilities. The investigation centers on potential violations of Title IX, the federal law that protects women and girls from sex-based discrimination in education.
The case has quickly drawn national attention as it could set the stage for a broader legal showdown over transgender athlete participation in women’s sports—an issue President Donald Trump has made central to his administration’s education policy.
The Complaint
The investigation stems from a formal complaint alleging that on March 19, 2025, a male student competing as a transgender female participated in a girls’ track competition and used the girls’ locker room. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is also reviewing the Oregon School Activities Association’s (OSAA) policy, which allows athletes to compete based on their stated gender identity rather than biological sex.
Federal officials are examining whether the district’s policies unlawfully denied female athletes their legal right to fair and safe competition, a core protection under Title IX.
Trump’s Executive Order in Effect
This action follows President Trump’s Executive Order 14201, signed earlier this year, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The order directs the Department of Education and Department of Justice to withhold federal funding from any school that allows biological males to compete in female categories, calling it a direct violation of civil rights protections for women.
Federal Officials Speak Out
Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, made it clear the administration is not backing down:
“No school receiving federal funds will be allowed to violate the rights of girls and women under the guise of gender policy. Title IX means what it says—and this administration will enforce it.”
Portland School Officials Push Back
PPS Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong acknowledged the federal probe and confirmed the district will cooperate, but stood by Oregon’s state-level gender identity policies. She admitted that the state’s rules may conflict with federal directives but claimed the district is committed to maintaining “dignity and respect for all students.”
However, critics argue that allowing biological males to participate in girls’ athletics undermines both competitive fairness and student safety—two pillars of Title IX that the Trump administration is determined to restore.
What’s at Stake
If the Department of Education determines Portland Public Schools violated federal law, the district could face serious consequences, including loss of federal funding and mandatory policy changes.
The investigation is part of a wider push by the Trump administration to roll back radical gender policies in public education and reassert clear protections for biological women and girls across the nation’s schools and athletic programs.