Monroe Public Schools reinstates athletic director after Title IX investigation concludes

Monroe Public Schools athletic director Chet Hesson will be reinstated in his role as of Tuesday, the Southeast Michigan district's superintendent said. 

This is the latest step in a Title IX complaint over the circumstances of a transgender student from another school competing in a girls' volleyball match and tournament. An independent investigator found earlier this month that claims of Title IX violations were unsubstantiated against Monroe Public Schools, the school district said. 

A formal complaint had been sent to the school district, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the state and the U.S. Department of Education.  

The complaint claimed that parents in Monroe were not notified ahead of time about the transgender student-athlete from an Ann Arbor school, saying some school administrators knew before the game but didn't notify parents. The complaint also claimed that during one of the matchups at Monroe, the students from both teams shared a locker room, which constitutes "a violation of privacy and bodily integrity protections under Title IX." 

A news conference took place Dec. 8, 2025, at the Monroe County Courthouse in Monroe, during which the complaint was presented. 

"I filed this complaint not to target any individual student, but to hold school administrators and elected officials accountable for denying families the information they needed to make informed decisions," Sean Lechner later said in a written statement. "Every parent has a right to know that their child's privacy and safety are being prioritized." 

In mid-December, Hesson was interviewed for a podcast episode with Uncloseted Media and voiced his support for the student-athlete. He was placed on administrative leave shortly afterwards. 

In a statement about the podcast, Shaw said that Hesson was not authorized to speak on behalf of the district. The athletic director has been on paid administrative leave since mid-December. 

He now returns to his role in the athletic department. 

"I am pleased to officially welcome our Director of Athletics, Dr. Chet Hesson, back to the District," Monroe Superintendent Andrew Shaw said in his letter dated Monday. "We understand that the past several months have been a period of uncertainty for our Athletic Department and the broader school community." 

Shaw encouraged those who have questions on the investigation to review the details that the district provided on April 9. At that point, the district said it had decided to no longer allow "shared locker rooms with opposing teams."   

"While we are pleased to have our leadership team back at full strength, please understand that we cannot discuss the specifics of this reinstatement in great detail, as it remains a personnel matter," the superintendent said. 

"As we move forward, the District remains dedicated to reviewing our internal administrative and operational procedures. We are committed to continuous improvement to ensure our practices not only meet legal requirements but also strengthens the trust and safety of the families we serve." 

Monroe Public Schools has about 5,000 students in its pre-K through high school grades.

CBS News Detroit has reached out to the school district and Lechner for comment. 

The above video originally aired on Dec. 8, 2025.