Dept. of Education investigating possible Title IX violations over men playing in women's sports at UPenn, SJSU, and more

The United States Department of Education said on Thursday it is investigating multiple jurisdictions for possible violations of women's rights.

The agency reportedly said there were "suspected Title IX" violations in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, which governs high school sports in the state.

Also under the microscope are San Jose State University and the University of Pennsylvania, which are suspected of violations under the federal statute that bars gender discrimination, the Boston Globe reported.

The investigation comes after President Trump signed an executive order to prevent men from competing in women's sports. The order called for "enforcement actions against educational institutions" if they force women to participate in sports or athletic events with men, or if they are forced to "appear unclothed before males."

All three suspected violators were thrust into the spotlight over the last year or two, with the MIAA particularly standing out with multiple national stories.

In November 2023, a male field hockey player from Swampscott High School took a shot during a field hockey game that hit a female opponent in the face, and the female player suffered significant injuries as a result and was hospitalized.

In February 2024, a girls' high school basketball game between KIPP Academy Lynn and the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell ended in a forfeit after three players were benched due to injuries, allegedly at the hands of a transgender player. The game ended at halftime.

Then, in January 2025, it was revealed that the Foxborough High School girls' basketball team won multiple championships with a "secret weapon," a 6'3'' allegedly transgender athlete going by the name "Addie."

Mary Ellen Siegler, spokesperson from the Massachusetts Family Institute, said she was hopeful the investigation would result in swift enforcement against the MIAA.

"For decades [the MIAA has] undermined safety and opportunities for female athletes by allowing boys to play on girls' sports teams," she told Blaze News.

Not to be outdone, San Jose State University was on the wrong side of a large movement against men in women's sports in 2024. Multiple NCAA volleyball players like Brooke Slusser and Sia Liilii spoke out against a male athlete named Blaire Fleming playing on the San Jose State University women's volleyball team.

Multiple teams forfeited against SJSU, with Liilii holding a press conference with her Nevada teammates to protest the unfair advantage of the school with the transgender athlete.

At the same time, three former swimmers from the University of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against UPenn, Harvard, the NCAA, and the Ivy League Council of Presidents over having to share a team locker room with Lia Thomas, an allegedly transgender NCAA swimmer. The athletes said that when they brought up their issues with their administrators, they were led to believe their concerns were rooted in a "psychological problem."

'One injury is too many.'

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, told the Boston Globe that "hundreds, if not thousands" of transgender students play high school sports without issue and that therefore the narrative has been overblown.

This echoed the sentiments of Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who said, "510,000 NCAA athletes. 10 or fewer transgender NCAA athletes nationwide. Let's focus on ways to actually improve women's sports."

On the contrary, Siegler from the MFI said, "One injury is too many. One stolen championship is too many. But maybe even more importantly, restoring the original purpose of Title IX benefits all of us by helping to restore basic biological truth in our country."

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