The Trump administration has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Smith College, one of the nation's largest women's colleges, claiming its admission of transgender women violates federal law and breaches the single-sex education exemption under Title IX.
The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights announced the probe Monday, asserting that Smith's policy of admitting "any applicants who self-identify as women" including transgender and nonbinary women constitutes unlawful sex discrimination. The department contends that Title IX's exemption for all-women's colleges applies only to biological sex, not "subjective gender identity."
Kimberly Richey, the department's assistant secretary for civil rights, issued a pointed statement challenging the college's foundational premise. "An all-women's college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males," Richey said. "The Trump Administration will continue to uphold the law and fight to restore common sense."
Smith, founded in 1875, has counted among its alumni multiple first ladies, elected officials, and civic leaders. The college adopted its current admission policy in 2015 after a year of deliberation with students and alumni, framing the decision around evolving understandings of female identity.
The investigation represents the latest aggressive move by the Trump administration against transgender rights in America. Beyond education, the administration has sought to ban transgender military service, revoked passport rules allowing gender markers to differ from sex at birth, and filed lawsuits against states permitting transgender athletes to compete in sports matching their gender identity.
Defending Education, a conservative advocacy group that targets diversity initiatives and policies across public schools and universities, filed the original complaint against Smith in June 2025. The organization, which describes its mission as fighting "indoctrination in classrooms and on campus," alleged that Smith discriminates by admitting transgender women while excluding those identifying as men.
Smith acknowledged receipt of the investigation notice in a brief statement. "The College is fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with civil rights laws," the college said. "The College does not comment on pending government investigations."
In a separate policy shift, Smith announced last year that it would align with new NCAA guidelines prohibiting transgender women from competing on women's athletic teams, signaling willingness to adjust practices even as the federal investigation proceeded.
Author James Rodriguez: "This is the administration making good on its campaign promise to wage war on transgender acceptance, one institution at a time, whether Title IX's actual text supports the argument or not."
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