According to the Department’s Office for Civil Rights, investigators will examine whether the college violated Title IX protections by “allowing biological males into women’s intimate spaces.” The investigation marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to regulate transgender inclusion in higher education.
Earlier this year, the administration moved to restrict trans participation in school sports through an executive order threatening federal funding for institutions with trans-inclusive athletic policies. That followed a January 2025 executive order defining gender based on assigned sex at birth and arguing that trans-inclusive interpretations of Title IX harmed women. In a statement to CNN, Smith College said the school “is fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with civil rights laws.”
Founded in 1871, Smith College has a long history tied to gender nonconforming and transgender students. In 2015, the liberal arts college formally adopted a policy allowing trans women to enroll, following years of advocacy from students and campus organizers. Today, Smith’s admissions policy states that all students who identify as women, including “cis, trans, and nonbinary women,” are eligible to apply.
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights has warned that if the college is found in violation, it could lose its single-sex status, potentially forcing the school to either admit all students regardless of gender or risk losing access to federal funding.
