Trump DOJ investigating 36 Illinois school districts over gender and sexuality curriculum

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating 36 Illinois school districts — including several in the Chicago area — over whether they are teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms and whether parents have been given the right to opt out.

The districts under investigation include Elmwood Park, Center Cass, Oak Lawn Hometown, and Atwood Heights.

According to the Justice Department, the investigation is examining whether the districts taught about gender or sexuality in classrooms, whether parents were given the opportunity to opt out of that instruction, and whether transgender students were allowed access to girls' sports teams, locker rooms, or bathrooms.

The department said it is concerned the districts have been keeping parents "in the dark" about how sexuality and gender ideology are being addressed in schools.

"Supreme Court precedent leaves no doubt: parents have the fundamental right and primary authority to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. This includes exempting their children from ideological instruction that contradicts their values or decisions about their children's health and best interests," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said. 

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin responded to the investigation with sharp criticism, accusing President Trump of "once again weaponizing the DOJ to carry out a sham investigation against a state that did not vote for him in the 2024 election."  

"I can save DOJ some time. Their investigators will find 36 Illinois school districts dedicated to providing their students with a good, well-rounded education," Durbin said.