Trump Administration Investigating Smith College Over Transgender Admissions
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Education Department has launched a civil rights investigation into Smith College to determine if allowing transgender students to enroll violates anti-discrimination laws.
- This inquiry marks an expansion of the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict transgender rights by focusing on admissions policies at women’s colleges for the first time.
- The investigation questions whether admitting transgender women and granting access to women-only spaces like bathrooms and dorms infringes on civil rights protections for biological women.
- Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, stated that admitting biological males undermines the purpose of an all-women’s college and raises concerns about privacy and fairness under federal law.
- Smith College affirmed its commitment to its values and compliance with civil rights laws in response to the investigation.
