Minnesota Ed Dept found in violation of Title IX for allowing males to compete in female sports
The federal government has issued a resolution agreement to Minnesota requiring the state to reverse its policies and comply with Title IX.
The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that Minnesota violated Title IX by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports and to use female facilities.
Federal investigators said the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League engaged in sex discrimination for years, permitting male athletes to compete in girls’ volleyball, lacrosse, track, skiing, and softball.
The investigation gained national attention after a male athlete at Champlin Park High School led the girls’ varsity softball team to a state championship, overpowering opponents and striking out 27 batters across five games.
Officials called the situation a clear example of how Minnesota’s policies denied young women fair competition.
“Once an education program or entity takes federal funds, Title IX compliance becomes mandatory,” said ED’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. He added that the Trump administration would not allow Minnesota “to sacrifice the safety, fair treatment, and dignity” of female students.
HHS Civil Rights Director Paula Stannard echoed that point, saying Minnesota had ignored “fundamental biological differences” that justify separating sports by sex.
In response, the federal government issued Minnesota a resolution agreement requiring the state to reverse its policies and bring its athletics programs into compliance with Title IX. Officials warned that if Minnesota does not act within ten days, it could face serious enforcement measures, including the loss of federal funding. The agreement directs MDE to withdraw any guidance suggesting that Title IX protects gender identity participation in sports, issue new statewide policies defining male and female strictly by biology, and restore titles and records taken from female athletes who were forced to compete against male players.
MDE and the Minnesota State High School League must also send apology letters to each female student who was discriminated against, acknowledging the harm done to their educational experience.
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Minnesota has long maintained policies that federal officials now say were unlawful.
In 2017, the Department of Education published a “toolkit” claiming that Title IX required schools to allow transgender students to play on teams that align with their gender identity. MSHSL also adopted similar language.
Both interpretations are now formally rejected by the federal government.
The ruling marks one of the first official findings of a state violating Title IX since President Trump signed his February 2025 executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
