Trump administration opens probe into NYC policy on transgender athletes in school sports

Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News on Jan 14, 2026

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NEW YORK — The Trump administration on Wednesday opened an investigation into New York City’s public school system over a policy that allows students to participate in sports based on their gender identity, federal education officials announced.

The city’s school system is one of 18 school districts, colleges and a state education department across 10 states wrapped up in the probe, which is being led by the U.S. Education Department’s civil rights arm. It marked the second time in a matter of months the federal government has targeted the city’s school system over its gender policies.

“Time and again, the Trump Administration has made its position clear: violations of women’s rights, dignity and fairness are unacceptable,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. “We will leave no stone unturned in these investigations to uphold women’s right to equal access in education programs — a fight that started over half a century ago and is far from finished.”

A spokesperson for the city’s schools did not immediately return a request for comment, though it seemed unlikely the administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani would agree with the federal government’s characterization of the city’s policies for transgender students.

When former Mayor Eric Adams said he would review the policy and consider changes, then-Democratic nominee Mamdani accused Adams of “echo(ing) the transphobic bigotry coming from the Trump administration” — which Mamdani described as “completely at odds with the values of our city.”

The probe comes after the Trump administration already moved to revoke federal funding for city magnet programs last year over the city’s gender policies for school sports and bathrooms. A legal challenge to recoup the funds remains ongoing, though city schools were able to secure a small share of the broader pot of money in the meantime.

The Trump administration announced the investigation the day after the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases seeking to overturn state bans on transgender athletes participating in girls sports, with some conservative justices hinting they were likely to uphold the laws.

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