Five Virginia schools assigned ‘high-risk status’ by Department of Education for trans student policies

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRIC) -- Five Northern Virginia school districts are now considered "high-risk status" after allegedly violating Title IX for transgender student policies, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, the department announced that five Northern Virginia divisions --Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools and Prince William County Public Schools -- are considered "high-risk status" after being found in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in July.

This placement means that all federal funding to these districts is reimbursement payment status only, per the department. The divisions are now considered "high-risk" within the federal grant system since they violated Title IX following an investigation by the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

“States and school districts cannot openly violate federal law while simultaneously receiving federal funding with no additional scrutiny. The Northern [Virginia] School Divisions that are choosing to abide by woke gender ideology in place of federal law must now prove they are using every single federal dollar for a legal purpose. We have given these Northern Virginia School Divisions every opportunity to rectify their policies which blatantly violate Title IX. Today’s accountability measures are necessary because they have stubbornly refused to provide a safe environment for young women in their schools.”  U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon

In July, the department found all five divisions violated Title IX for their policies, which allowed intimate facilities based on gender and not biological sex.

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According to the U.S. Department of Education, the school districts refused to sign the proposed resolution agreement to voluntarily resolve their Title IX violations by Friday, Aug. 15, and as a result, remain in violation of Title IX.

The department reportedly began administrative proceedings to either suspend or terminate federal finance assistance to these schools, which are now under reimbursement status for all department-related funds.

Funds include formula funding, discretionary grants and impact aid grants, which total over $50 million. The divisions will need to pay their education expenses in advance before requesting reimbursement for spending to access funds.

The department's OCR reportedly finished its Title IX investigation on Tuesday, July 29, by finding the five districts in violation since they allow students to occupy intimate facilities based on gender and not biological sex.

The U.S. Department of Education said Title IX "prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance," per a release.

In Central Virginia, a Title IX case began against the Hanover School Board for banning transgender student from athletics in 2024.