Feds refer MN trans youth in sports cases to DOJ

(MNN)-The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are referring Minnesota’s Title IX case to the DOJ, saying the State’s Department of Education and High School League failed to comply with federal rules on sex‑based discrimination in school athletics. A September 2025 federal investigation found Minnesota violated Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports, including Alpine and Nordic skiing, lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, and fastpitch softball. The Trump administration warned the state that federal funding could be at risk if policies weren’t changed. Minnesota leaders have pushed back, saying federal demands conflict with state anti‑discrimination laws protecting gender identity. Attorney General Keith Ellison has said the state is prepared to challenge federal action in court, noting that Minnesota has not seen immediate funding impacts in past disputes. Title IX bars sex‑based discrimination in federally funded education programs.