Education Department Opens Title IX Probe Into Smith College Over Transgender Admissions

Overview

• The Education Department’s civil-rights office opened a Title IX probe into Smith College for admitting transgender women and allowing access to dorms, bathrooms, locker rooms, and teams, with a top official saying an all-women’s college “loses all meaning” if it admits “biological males.”
• Smith said it received the federal notice and that it follows civil-rights laws, and it declined to comment on a pending investigation.
• Title IX’s text excludes admissions at private undergraduate colleges, which legal analysts say casts doubt on the probe’s reach.
• Students described fear and frustration, including a trans student who said she does not feel safe and a senior who rejected claims that trans women are predatory.
• The office is in a fact-finding phase with no enforcement decision, and the outcome could affect other women’s colleges and rules for campus spaces and sports.