The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a formal warning letter today to Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado, citing an ongoing refusal to comply with Title IX regulations. The federal agency gave the school district a 10-day deadline to comply before it issues a Letter of Impending Enforcement Action, a move that could ultimately result in the termination of the district’s federal education funding.
The warning follows a March 2026 OCR conclusion that found the district in violation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funds.
According to the federal review, the district allowed male students to participate on girls’ sports teams, access female restrooms and locker rooms, and share overnight accommodations based on their gender identity. The federal investigation also revealed that the district maintained policies allowing students as young as 11 years old to share overnight rooms with members of the opposite sex during school trips.
OCR stated that it had previously provided Jefferson County Public Schools with a proposed Resolution Agreement to address and resolve these findings, but the district has not implemented the changes. The investigation into the Colorado district originally began in June 2025 regarding its overnight accommodation policies before expanding to include athletic rosters and locker room access.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey issued a statement alongside the warning letter, criticizing the district’s response to the federal findings.
“Not only did the District trample on females’ sex-based protections by allowing males to compete in their sports, intrude in their bathrooms, and sleep in their overnight accommodations, but now it refuses to fix the problem after being given the chance. It is indifferent to the law and to the safety, privacy, and dignity of women and girls. Its behavior here is unconscionable,” Richey said. “The District must restore Title IX protections or risk further enforcement action. As we continue to honor June as Title IX Month, the Trump Administration will not allow students to continue to be abused at the hands of a radical ideological agenda that undermines the basic protections to which they are entitled under law.”
Jefferson County Public Schools has 10 calendar days from the issuance of today’s letter to enter into a compliance agreement with the federal government before enforcement proceedings begin.
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