The American First Legal (AFL) group announced on Friday that its civil rights complaints regarding gender identity policies in five northern Virginia school systems have resulted in a Department of Education investigation.
The conservative nonprofit lodged an administrative complaint on February 3rd, alleging that school systems in Alexandria City and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties had violated Title IX and an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. According to the complaint, these school systems allowed students to use locker rooms and bathrooms based on their gender identity.
The group has confirmed that the investigation by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has been acknowledged in a letter dated February 12. However, it is worth noting that the office’s website page, which usually provides updates on pending cases, has not been updated since January 14.
The AFL received a letter from OCR, where they acknowledged the complaints regarding the schools’ transgender policies. OCR’s responsibility involves enforcing a federal mandate that prevents discrimination based on sex in any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance.
It is not clear when the investigation began, as there are still pending cases on the website dating back to 2014. However, an AFL official previously stated to 7News that schools could potentially lose federal funding if they are found to be in violation of Title IX.
“We appreciate the dedication of President Trump and the Department of Education in actively addressing and examining these extreme and non-compliant school districts. These districts have prioritized the denial of biological facts over their teaching, and we are grateful for this investigation,” stated Ian Prior, Senior Advisor at AFL. He further added, “For years, these school districts have unquestioningly embraced transgender ideology, disregarding both legal requirements and the valid concerns of students and their parents.”
The AFL filed a complaint regarding the recent coverage by 7News. The coverage focused on a biological man who allegedly exposed himself to women and children in a girl’s pool locker room at Washington Liberty High School. According to reports, the man claimed to be transgender, but later investigation revealed that he was a registered sex offender.
Organizations like the AFL, which describes itself as “the long-awaited answer to the ACLU” on its website, have filed lawsuits across the country over comparable transgender policies. This recent legal action is not the initial complaint filed by the group.
In 2024, the AFL emerged victorious in a legal dispute involving five students from Fairfax County Public Schools. These students had alleged that they were subjected to disciplinary actions for unintentionally misgendering their classmates, in addition to previous complaints about Title IX violations related to bathroom policies.