The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights recently opened an investigation into Smith College, a women’s liberal arts educational institution in Northampton, Massachusetts, for “admitting biological men.”
According to the Trump administration, Smith College has violated Title IX “by allowing biological males into women’s intimate spaces.” Although Title IX allows a single-sex exception for colleges to enroll all-male or all-female student bodies, the DOE claims “the exception applies on the basis of biological sex difference, not subjective gender identity.”
“An all-women’s college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. “Allowing biological males into spaces designed for women raises serious concerns about privacy, fairness, and compliance under federal law. The Trump administration will continue to uphold the law and fight to restore common sense.”
Smith College has considered transgender women for admission to its undergraduate programs since 2015.