The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched investigations into three Michigan public school districts: the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and the Lansing School District.
The investigation centers on whether those school districts teach sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12.
If they are teaching SOGI-related content, the investigations will examine whether the schools have notified parents of their right to opt their children out of such instruction.
The investigation will also assess whether the Michigan school districts limit access to single-sex intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, based on biological sex.
“This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to ending the growing trend of local school authorities embedding sexuality and gender ideology in every aspect of public education,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Supreme Court precedent is clear: parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children, which includes exempting them from ideological instruction which conflicts with their families’ sincerely held religious beliefs. And Title IX demands that we guard the safety, dignity, and innocence of our youngest citizens—our children—by ensuring that they have unfettered access to bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex.”
The investigations will examine whether these Michigan School Districts, which are recipients of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding, are following Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, 606 U.S. 522 (2025).
The Justice Department announced investigations into Detroit Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and Lansing School District. Federal officials are examining whether sexual orientation and gender identity-related material was included in required instruction for students in grades K-12, whether parents were properly notified of their right to opt their children out of optional courses, and whether districts are complying with Title IX protections for students.
State Rep. Gina Johnsen, R-Portland, welcomed the investigation.
“When the proposed Health Education Standards Framework was introduced, parents immediately voiced concerns about questionable content being incorporated into required coursework without clear notice or accountability,” Johnsen said in a statement. “Those concerns centered on transparency, parental rights, and compliance with federal law.”
Johnsen sponsored House Bill 5364, which passed the House Education and Workforce Committee. The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require both chambers of the Legislature to approve any changes to state curriculum standards before they take effect.
“Major changes to what children are taught should not be implemented without legislative oversight and parental input,” Johnsen said. “This investigation reinforces why we acted. Michigan families deserve clear notice, meaningful opt-out protections, and schools that respect both parental rights and Title IX protections.”
