Now Trump’s DOJ is investigating 36 Illinois school districts over LGBTQ+ content

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.

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The investigations target districts across the state, including Bloomington Public Schools District 87, Ridgeview Community Unit School District 19, DeKalb Community Unit School District 428, and the Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago, according to the Justice Department.

“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.

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The announcement did not identify any specific books, lesson plans, or incidents that prompted the investigations. The department also stressed that investigators “have not reached any conclusions” about whether the districts violated federal law.

Still, the move landed like a warning shot in Illinois, a Democratic-led state with some of the country’s strongest protections for LGBTQ+ students.

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.

Several school leaders responded with a mix of confusion and defiance.

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Freeport School District Superintendent Dr. Anna Alvarado and Board President Martha Furst said they did not know why their district had been selected but were confident district policies comply with state and federal law, according to WIFR. Oregon Community Unit School District Superintendent Dr. PJ Caposey told families there was “no reason” to panic and said the district would approach the inquiry with “professionalism, preparation, and confidence in our practices,” the station reports.

The investigations are part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump to dismantle federal recognition of transgender identity across schools, housing, healthcare, and athletics. Since returning to power, the administration has pushed agencies to reinterpret civil rights law around sex assigned at birth while portraying LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts as ideological indoctrination.

The investigations could have sweeping consequences far beyond Illinois. Even without formal findings, civil rights probes can pressure districts to rewrite policies, remove curriculum materials, or scale back support for transgender students to avoid litigation or threats to federal funding.