Story perspectives

DOJ probes 36 Illinois schools over transgender rights.

5/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Department of Justice launched civil-rights investigations of 36 Illinois school districts, including Elmwood Park and Atwood Heights.
Governor JB Pritzker, civil-rights groups and the ACLU of Illinois called the probe a misuse of federal funds that misinterprets laws protecting transgender students’ facility access.
Legal experts warned the investigations could force schools to alter curricula or limit transgender students’ bathroom and sports access to keep grant funding.

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Story summary

The U.S. Department of Justice launched civil-rights investigations of 36 Illinois school districts, including Elmwood Park and Atwood Heights.
Governor JB Pritzker, civil-rights groups and the ACLU of Illinois called the probe a misuse of federal funds that misinterprets laws protecting transgender students’ facility access.
Legal experts warned the investigations could force schools to alter curricula or limit transgender students’ bathroom and sports access to keep grant funding.