Trump DOJ probes Michigan schools over gender curriculum, joins lawsuit against LA race-based program
The Trump Justice Department on Wednesday launched investigations into three Michigan public school districts over gender-related classroom instruction and sought to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging a race-based admission and funding program in Los Angeles — intensifying the administration’s push into school policy disputes nationwide.
The Civil Rights Division said it is examining whether the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and the Lansing School District included "sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12."
If such instruction is provided, investigators will assess whether parents were notified of their right to opt their children out and whether the districts "limit access to single-sex intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, based on biological sex."
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the department is focused on enforcing parental rights and Title IX.
"This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to ending the growing trend of local school authorities embedding sexuality and gender ideology in every aspect of public education," Dhillon said.
She added that "Supreme Court precedent is clear: parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children," including exempting them from instruction that conflicts with their beliefs.
Dhillon also said Title IX requires protecting "the safety, dignity, and innocence of our youngest citizens… by ensuring that they have unfettered access to bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex."
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The department noted the Michigan districts receive "hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding" and said investigators will evaluate compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Officials emphasized the Civil Rights Division "has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations."
In a separate action, the Justice Department said it is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit 1776 Project Foundation challenging the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Predominately Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHBAO) Program.
According to the department’s proposed complaint, the program categorizes students by race and neighborhood demographics for funding and magnet school admissions, separating students into "Anglo," meaning White, and other racial categories. Neighborhoods with fewer than 30% White residents are designated as disadvantaged, and certain schools receive additional funding, a reduced student-teacher ratio by 5.5 students, and magnet admissions preferences.
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The complaint states LAUSD treats attending school with non-White students "as a disadvantage equal to attending an overcrowded school."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the federal government is intervening to enforce equal protection guarantees.
"Treating Americans equally is not a suggestion — it is a core constitutional guarantee that educational institutions must follow," Bondi said.
Dhillon said students "should never be classified or treated differently because of their race," adding that "Racial discrimination is unlawful and un-American."
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said LAUSD’s desegregation program has "outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional."
The Michigan investigations remain ongoing, and the LAUSD case is pending in federal court.
Representatives for the Michigan districts did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
"Because this matter involves pending litigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics," LAUSD said in a statement. "However, Los Angeles Unified remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities."