The Department of Education opened up an investigation on Thursday into Western Carolina University over reports that it housed a male alongside a female and retaliated against a student after she complained about the presence of a male in a female locker room.
The Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights announced that it had initiated a Title IX investigation into Western Carolina University over allegations that the university “has openly refused to comply with Title IX and to ensure sex-separated intimate spaces in federally funded institutions of higher education.” The announcement comes one day after the group Speech First published communications from the university showing that it was not planning on making changes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep men who identify as women out of female spaces.
“WCU’s reported contempt for federal anti-discrimination laws and indifference to, and retaliation against, girls who have spoken up about males invading their intimate spaces is simply unacceptable,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said. “The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will continue to deploy every lawful means to eradicate this wholly unnecessary and egregious violation of women and girls’ civil rights.”
In response to the investigation, the university said that it was compliant with all federal regulations.
“Western Carolina University is compliant with all current state and federal regulations and will continue to adjust any necessary campus policies and practices to remain in compliance with future changes,” the university told The Daily Wire. “At this time, we have no further comment regarding this matter.”
The probe comes one day after documents posted by Speech First and first reported on by National Review show the school’s chief compliance officer stating that the university is “not making changes based” on Trump’s executive order called “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
Another one of the components of the Education Department’s investigation is that the university launched a Title IX investigation into former student Payton McNabb after she complained about the presence of a male in a dress in a woman’s bathroom. While McNabb was later cleared of any wrongdoing, her lawyer stated that the university had encouraged the complaint to be filed against her.
“In addition to my experience discovering a male in the women’s restroom on campus, men who self-identify as transgender are entering other women’s intimate spaces like restrooms, dorm rooms and locker rooms,” McNabb said Thursday. “Female college students will not sit idly by as men take over our spaces. I’m thankful to have an administration that will stand up for us.”
The department’s action was praised by Nicole Neily, the acting executive director of Speech First.
“Actions speak louder than words, and the Department of Education’s commitment to protecting women and girls is second to none,” Neily said. “This investigation sends a clear message to colleges and universities across the country: compliance with the law is not voluntary.”
