Now Trump's DOJ is investigating 36 Illinois school districts over LGBTQ+ contenthttps://www.advocate.com/politics/national/doj-illinois-schools-gender-investigation 🔗Christopher Wiggins (1 May 2026)
The Trump administration has opened civil rights investigations into 36 Illinois school districts over lessons involving sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Justice Department announced Thursday that its Civil Rights Division will investigate whether districts exposed students to what the administration calls "sexual orientation and gender ideology" content without adequately notifying parents or allowing them to opt their children out. Federal officials also said they will examine whether schools permit transgender students to use bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports teams aligned with their gender identity rather than sex assigned at birth.
"This Department of Justice is determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement released by the department.
A spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker accused the administration of turning civil rights enforcement into a political weapon.
"The Civil Rights Division used to investigate actual discrimination concerns to ensure all individuals are treated equally under the law, but they're now focused on belittling the rights and humanity of LGBTQ+ communities," the spokesperson said, according to local outlet WIFR.
