DOJ Sues Minnesota over Title IX Violations Regarding Girls Sports and Intimate Spaces

DOJ Civil Rights Press Releases

Filed March 30th, 2026

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

The DOJ Civil Rights Division filed suit against the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League alleging Title IX violations. The complaint alleges defendants required girls to compete against boys in girls-only athletic competitions and allowed males access to female intimate spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms. The lawsuit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief.

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What changed

The DOJ filed a federal lawsuit on March 30, 2026, against the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) for violations of Title IX. MDE receives over $3 billion in federal funding and oversees 500+ MSHSL member schools. The complaint alleges sex-based discrimination by forcing female athletes to compete against males in girls' sports and permitting male access to female-only intimate spaces, creating unfair competition and hostile educational environments with risks of physical injury and psychological harm.

Affected schools and educational institutions receiving federal funding should immediately review their athletic eligibility policies and facility access rules to ensure Title IX compliance. Educational institutions should consult legal counsel regarding locker room and bathroom access policies for single-sex spaces. Non-compliance with Title IX can result in loss of federal funding and exposure to damages in litigation.

What to do next

Review athletic eligibility policies to ensure female-only categories are restricted to biological females
Audit facility access policies for locker rooms and bathrooms designated for female students
Consult legal counsel regarding Title IX compliance for single-sex spaces

Penalties

Loss of federal funding exposure exceeding $3 billion; declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief sought

Source document (simplified)

News

Press Release

Justice Department Sues Minnesota to Protect Girls’ Sports and Intimate Spaces

Monday, March 30, 2026

Share For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce the protections of Title IX and ensure fairness and safety for female student athletes in Minnesota.

According to the complaint, Defendants Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) have engaged in sex-based discrimination by requiring girls to compete against boys in athletic competitions that are designated exclusively for girls and allowing boys to invade intimate spaces designated exclusively for girls, such as multi-person locker rooms and bathrooms. These unfair, intentionally discriminatory practices violate the very core of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. In open defiance of Title IX’s anti-discrimination protections, Minnesota’s policies and practices create unfair competition, deny girls equal athletic opportunities, and expose girls to a hostile educational environment with heightened risks of physical injury and psychological harm. The lawsuit thus seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX.

“The Trump Administration does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is proud to partner with HHS and the Department of Education to protect our girls in Minnesota and across the country.”

“The Justice Department cannot ignore a state’s brazen defiance of federal antidiscrimination law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In service of radical gender ideology, Minnesota’s actions violate Title IX and deny female athletes their hard-earned trophies, records, dignity, and safety.”

“We will not allow girls to be denied equal opportunity and basic privacy,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Title IX is clear: schools that accept federal funding must protect the rights, safety, and dignity of female students.”

“The Trump Administration will always fight for the safety and civil rights of women and girls,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Minnesota’s policies allow men to dominate women’s sports, denying female athletes fair competition and eroding their right to equal access in educational programs and activities. Thank you to Attorney General Bondi for bringing this fight to the courts to hold Minnesota accountable.”

MDE receives more than $3 billion in federal funding from the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. As a condition to receiving this federal funding, MDE agreed to comply and ensure its funding subrecipients, including local schools, comply with Title IX. Minnesota law and local schools have ceded responsibility for scholastic sports to MSHSL. MDE has authority over MSHSL and local schools’ athletic policies, including nondiscrimination rules. MSHSL currently has more than 500 member schools. The complaint is available here.

Updated March 30, 2026 Components Office of the Attorney General Civil Rights Division Press Release Number: 26-299