The Department of Justice has launched sweeping civil rights investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts accused of pushing transgender ideology on students from pre-K through 12th grade.
The federal probe, announced by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division on Thursday, is also looking into whether these districts are allowing biological males into girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams, which would be a direct violation of Title IX and basic child safety.
The DOJ said it will be investigating whether the schools are promoting sexual orientation and gender ideology to students, and if they notified parents to allow them to opt out.
“The investigations will examine whether these Illinois School Districts, which are recipients of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding, are adhering to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s extensive precedents on parental rights as recently reiterated in Mirabelli v. Bonta and Mahmoud v. Taylor,” the DOJ explained in a press release.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a press release, “This Department of Justice is determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms.”
“Supreme Court precedent leaves no doubt: parents have the fundamental right and primary authority to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. This includes exempting their children from ideological instruction that contradicts their values or decisions about their children’s health and best interests,” Dhillon added.
WATCH:
🚨 BREAKING: The Trump administration launches investigations into DOZENS of Illinois school districts for carrying out TRANSGENDER transitions on kids behind the parents’ backs
WTF?! This is DEMENTED. Pull all funding!
“Prosecutors say they helped children CHANGE GENDERS… pic.twitter.com/teYRZvH1NT
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 4, 2026
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, called the investigation a “sham” aimed at punishing states that President Donald Trump does not like.
Pritzker claimed the Civil Rights Division is now “focused on belittling the rights and humanity of LGBTQ+ communities,” according to a report from Capitol News Illinois.
The districts under investigation include multiple Chicago-area systems.
The move is part of a broader Trump DOJ crackdown on the radical gender agenda infiltrating America’s public schools.
