Bellmore-Merrick district investigated over allegations it let a 'male student' try out for girls volleyball team, U.S. Education Department says
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a Title IX investigation into the Bellmore-Merrick school district. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that it had launched a Title IX investigation into the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District over its policies regarding gender identity and sports participation.
Federal education officials said they are looking into allegations that the district let a "male student" try out for the girls volleyball team.
The Bellmore-Merrick district said in a statement that it follows guidelines issued by the state Education Department and complies with all laws and regulations.
"The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District has always focused on supporting all students, respecting due process and fulfilling its legal obligations," the statement read.
The education department’s Office of Civil Rights said similar complaints have also sparked probes into the New York City Public School system and 16 other educational entities across the country. The investigations were announced one day after the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases related to transgender girls playing on school athletic teams.
“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.”
Debate over federal, state law
Soon after President Donald Trump took office, he signed an executive order recognizing that “two sexes, male and female,” are determined at birth. And Title IX, a landmark federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, has been cited by the Trump administration in its support of bans on transgender athletes playing on female sports teams.
New York State law, meanwhile, protects transgender students and allows them to participate in the sports teams and use the facilities that align with their gender identity.
This conflict between state and federal law has been the subject of recent debate in two other Long Island school districts, which have enacted policies requiring students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their biological sex or separate, gender-neutral facilities.
The two districts, Locust Valley and Massapequa, are pursuing legal action against top state officials after they were temporarily barred from enforcing these policies.
In December, the Locust Valley district filed a federal lawsuit claiming it has been put in an "impossible position" due to conflicting state and federal policies related to the use of bathrooms and locker rooms by transgender students. The district is asking the court to find that federal law preempts state regulations and to prevent state "enforcement action."
Massapequa filed suit in October.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
