The U.S. Department of Education has launched a Title IX investigation into the Tumwater School District over claims the district allowed a trans athlete to participate in a girls basketball game.
The Tumwater School Board voted last week in favor of a resolution to ban trans girls from competing in girls sports. Despite that, the education department is threatening to withhold federal money if Washington state continues to allow trans athletes on girls teams.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has issued a temporary ruling that blocks this strategy — saying the Trump administration’s actions amount to executive overreach.
To get a better understanding of all of this, and potential impacts to Washington’s public schools, KNKX spoke to Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.
Interview Highlights
On the investigation into the Tumwater School District
They want to take folks to court. They want high profile cases. They're not just trying to win a case — they're trying to vilify trans youth and the schools that support them. What they're really doing is taking on states' rights.
The best thing to do is follow state law. And the best thing for the federal government to do is deal with the numerous problems they have right now, instead of crafting a cultural war against, arguably five to 10 kids on average per state.
On state civil rights protections for students
We've got decades and decades of law that says when the federal government doesn't have clear authority, or when they do but have chosen not to be in a space, then states get to make their own framework. So we've had a civil rights framework in this state, whether it comes to race, whether it comes to immigrant students, trans students, LGBTQIA youth. We've had a civil rights framework that goes beyond the federal government. We offer more protections, and it's held up for decades and decades, so we feel really good about that.
On an Education Department portal to field reports of discrimination based on race or sex in publicly funded K-12 schools
It's a political tool. They want to generate a lot of energy. I also know there are groups out there flooding that thing with other messages to try to make it kind of a moot instrument — it's a crude instrument, because anyone can file a complaint and the word is that they'll mine that. They'll go through that to see if they want to investigate state or districts or individuals — it's a bit of a witch hunt.
On reports that the Trump administration plans to dismantle the Education Department
I want to remind your listeners: this will take Congressional action to be legal, but it won't stop the department from going down this road and maybe even attempting it without Congress. I don't think Congress will have the votes to get rid of the U.S. Department of Ed, but the department and the President could do a lot of damage along the way by either trying to get rid of funds or scaring school districts across the country into the idea that: don't even try to access them, don't pursue grants. He wants that fear out there, and then people voluntarily give up opportunities.
