The U.S. Department of Education is investigating San José State University for possible violations of Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in education, due to the alleged participation of a transgender athlete in its women’s volleyball team, the agency announced.
The investigation comes on the heels of an executive order President Donald Trump signed Wednesday, an order widely understood to ban transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports. The order alters how the federal government interprets and enforces Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that get federal dollars.
White House officials speaking to reporters ahead of the signing said the order bars students assigned male at birth from participating in women’s sports, but distanced themselves from the notion that it would prevent transgender students from competing in athletics. The NCAA on Thursday updated its policies, blocking student-athletes assigned male at birth from competing in NCAA women’s sports, but allowing students of any gender identity to participate in men’s sports.
In a statement, San José State President Cynthia Teniente-Matson said the university is committed to ensuring the fair treatment of all of its students and “engage fully” with the federal investigation. The university says it will not discuss students’ gender identity, citing federal privacy law.
“We follow policies and regulations set forth by the California State University system and applicable law, and we recognize that at times, these laws and policies may intersect in complex ways,” Teniente-Matson said. “In navigating these frameworks, our focus remains on upholding our responsibilities while supporting our students.”
More than a dozen college athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in 2024 alleging that the association violated their rights under Title IX by allowing transgender women to compete against them. Though the suit names an athlete at San José State, the university has not confirmed that it has a transgender women’s volleyball player, the Associated Press reported in November.
Several teams forfeited matches against San José State during their last season, but a federal judge denied a court order seeking to block the San José State athlete from competing in the Mountain West tournament.
A news release announcing the investigation against San José State said the Department of Education is also investigating potential violations of Title IX at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The department’s Office for Civil Rights also is “actively reviewing athletic participation policies at a number of schools to evaluate their alignment with Title IX protections for female athletes.”