Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 is among three dozen school systems in Illinois that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating over policies and curricula related to gender and sexuality.
The federal agency announced it’s looking into 36 school districts in the state, including how and if they teach about gender and sexuality, and potentially into what parent opt-outs are in place, whether bathrooms and locker rooms are single-sex-only and whether access to girls’ sports teams is limited “based on biological sex,” according to a Thursday news release from the Department of Justice.
District 155 officials confirmed they received a notice from the DOJ Thursday that a “compliance review” was initiated related to Title IX, “specifically related to sex education, sexual orientation and gender.”
“Our priority remains what it has always been: providing safe, welcoming, and engaging learning environments for all students while supporting our teachers and staff in the important work they do every day,” District 155 spokesperson Shannon Podzimek said in an email to Shaw Local. “We will respond appropriately to the DOJ’s requests and will continue to work in good faith to ensure clarity and compliance with applicable education requirements.”
According to the DOJ’s news release , it was launching the probe of the Illinois school systems to “determine whether they have included sexual orientation and gender ideology [SOGI] content in any class for grades pre-K-12.”
If it’s determined that districts are teaching such content, the investigations will then expand to “whether the schools have notified parents of their right to opt their children out of such instruction,” as well as whether districts “limit access to single-sex intimate spaces [such as bathrooms and locker rooms] and girls’ sports teams based on biological sex.”
In the news release, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the division is focused on ensuring parents are not “kept in the dark” about classroom instruction and that schools follow federal law, including Title IX.
The Justice Department emphasized that the investigations are preliminary and that no findings have been made.
A spokesperson for the Office of Gov. JB Pritzker called the investigation led by the Trump Administration a “sham” meant to “punish states the President does not like.”
“The Civil Rights Division used to investigate actual discrimination concerns to ensure all individuals are treated equally under the law, but they’re now focused on belittling the rights and humanity of LGBTQ+ communities,” the spokesperson said.
In another Illinois district listed as a subject of an investigation, DeKalb School District 428, a spokesperson confirmed Friday that the district had received written correspondence from the DOJ.
“In this letter, the DOJ informed the district of its intent to request additional information as part of a compliance review investigation pursuant to Title IX,” according to the district’s statement. “DeKalb CUSD 428 is diligent in its efforts to comply with all applicable federal and state laws. The District will, of course, work collaboratively with the DOJ as part of the agency’s compliance review.”
The possible consequences for districts found to be out of compliance are unclear.
District 155, along with many other school districts in McHenry County, set up policies regarding transgender students in 2015. The district said then – in a time that predated both the current and first Trump administrations – that officials would honor requests of any student who wants to use the bathroom or locker room of the “student’s affirmed gender identity.”
Individual changing locations also became an option.
It’s not clear if these policies are still in place.
District 155 also established rules for “non-vocational single-gender classes” and activities in the Board of Education policy manual, which states the superintendent may recommend single-gender classes or activities “to provide diverse educational opportunities and/or meet students’ identified educational needs.”
“Participation in the classes or activities must be voluntary, both genders must be treated with substantial equality, and the program must otherwise comply with State and federal law and with Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities,” according to the policy manual.
It is unclear whether the Illinois Attorney General’s Office will get involved. A representative for the Office of Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the office is “aware of the matter” and is “monitoring the situation.”
Other Chicago-area districts named as subjects of a DOJ investigation include Center Cass School District 66, Country Club Hills School District 160, Crete-Monee School District 201-U, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401, Leyden Community High School District 212, Lyons School District 103, North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, North Palos School District 117, Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123, Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215 and Will County School District 92.
• Shaw Local reporter Megann Horstead contributed.