Feds elevate Minnesota Title IX investigations to a ‘Special Investigations Team’

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Education has elevated two Title IX investigations to its “Title IX Special Investigations Team,” which involves both the Education Department and the Department of Justice.

The Title IX Special Investigations Team (Title IX SIT) “is comprised of both the Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice” and was begun in early April 2025 to “streamline investigations and expedite enforcement,” as stated in a department news release.

The Title IX investigations in question concern the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL).

Both MDE and MSHSL individually face Title IX investigations for allowing males in female sports and facilities, according to the release.

The Department of Education said that the elevation of the investigation “follows a development this past weekend in Minnesota, where a male athlete from Champlin Park High School competing in a girls’ MSHSL softball match dominated the competition, leading Champlin to a state championship.”

The investigation into MSHSL began in February “over its stated intentions to flout federal law and instead follow state policies which allow student-athletes to compete in sports based on their ‘gender identity,’” according to the release.

Also, on June 3, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights opened a Title IX investigation into MDE “after receiving a complaint alleging that MDE has policies which permit males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the release that “the Trump Administration has a duty to protect women and girls and uphold federal civil rights.”

“I am pleased to partner with Attorney General Pam Bondi to elevate the Department’s investigations in Minnesota to the Title IX Special Investigations Team,” McMahons said.

“Minnesota’s continued indifference to females’ civil rights is completely unacceptable,” McMahon said.

“We must ensure women and girls are not stripped of their hard-earned accolades or subjected to the danger and indignity of unfair competitions, and we will fight to restore antidiscrimination protections under Title IX to the fullest extent of the law,” McMahon said.

When reached for comment, the Department of Education referred The Center Square to portions of the aforementioned release, a release announcing the creation of Title IX SIT, and a release on its “Title IX Month.”

The elevations of the Minnesota Title IX investigations come shortly after the Department of Education’s announcement that the month of June will be recognized as “Title IX Month.”

As The Center Square previously reported, Title IX Month commemorates the 53rd anniversary of the amendment and is meant to highlight and continue the Trump administration’s efforts to protect women.

As stated in the Department of Education’s release, Title IX prohibits “discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Neither MDE nor MSHSL responded to The Center Square’s request for comment by the time of publishing.