4 Washington school districts face Title IX investigations
Jan 14, 2026, 6:04 PM | Updated: Jan 15, 2026, 11:08 am
AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, competes in the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., May 31, 2025. (File photo: Jae C. Hong, AP)
(File photo: Jae C. Hong, AP)
Four school districts in the state of Washington are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Cheney, Sultan, Tacoma, and Vancouver districts are among 18 entities in 10 states facing Title IX investigations, the U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday.
Complaints claim these districts allow students to join sports based on gender identity, not biological sex — allegedly discriminating against women and girls.
“In the same week that the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the future of Title IX, OCR is aggressively pursuing allegations of discrimination against women and girls by entities which reportedly allow males to compete in women’s sports,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said. “We will leave no stone unturned in these investigations to uphold women’s right to equal access in education programs.”
KIRO Newsradio has reached out to all four of the Washington districts on the list.
Vancouver Public Schools responded Thursday, stating it was notified of the investigation.
“We are reviewing the allegations, but are unable to provide further comment while the investigation is pending,” a spokesperson wrote to KIRO Newsradio.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
