The Trump administration's Education Department announced Tuesday it's investigating two school districts—one in Denver and another south of Seattle—over incidents involving LGBTQ+ content, marking the latest escalation in federal scrutiny of schools that accommodate transgender and gender-diverse students.
The probes target Denver Public Schools over allegations that a teacher required same-sex students to kiss in front of a class, and the Bethel School District in Washington over vials of testosterone displayed during a Pride month exhibit at Graham-Kapowsin High School in June. Both districts are in Democratic-led states.
What Happened in the Districts
Denver schools spokesman Scott Pribble said the district placed the teacher on administrative leave after students raised concerns in March 2025. The Board of Education fired the teacher in May following an investigation, though the district's statement didn't specify what prompted the students' concerns. "The safety, emotional well-being, and dignity of our students are the absolute highest priorities of DPS," Pribble said. "Our actions to date have been wholly consistent with those priorities."
The Bethel School District said the vials at Graham-Kapowsin High School weren't authorized by administrators and were immediately removed and turned over to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The display contained vials with a "small amount of unknown liquid," according to the district's statement. Testosterone is prescribed for gender-affirming care.
Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy Carly Cappetto said administrators identified the student who brought the vials to campus. The sheriff's office would test the liquid to determine whether it was testosterone—a controlled substance—if prosecutors requested, she said. Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mary Robnett said she wasn't aware of the case and would need more information to determine its status.
A Pattern of Federal Intervention
The investigations will determine whether the districts violated a federal law giving parents the right to opt out of school evaluations on topics including sex behavior or attitudes, the Education Department said. "Parents must be the decision-makers in matters impacting the most intimate parts of their children's lives," Frank Miller, director of the Student Privacy Policy Office at the Education Department, said in a statement.
The Trump administration has opened dozens of investigations into schools that make accommodations for transgender and LGBTQ+ students, often targeting districts that allow students to use bathrooms or locker rooms aligning with their gender identities. It accused Denver schools last year of violating Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination over such a bathroom policy.
Trump officials have also pushed against schools accused of keeping information about students' gender identities confidential from their parents, which the department says violates federal privacy laws.
Districts Respond
The Bethel School District said it's reviewing protocols for overseeing displays to "ensure all school materials strictly align with our educational standards and community expectations." The district added that its "primary focus remains on maintaining a safe, respectful, and focused learning environment for all of our students."
The Education Department tied the new investigations to National Parents' Day on Sunday. The agency said it will be announcing "significant actions" involving the enforcement of parental rights laws through the week.
Why This Matters:
These investigations represent a federal effort to reshape how schools address gender identity and LGBTQ+ inclusion, with the Trump administration using parental rights laws to scrutinize districts that create space for gender-diverse students. Both targeted districts had already taken action—Denver fired the teacher involved, and Bethel immediately removed the unauthorized display—yet face federal probes nonetheless. The pattern of investigations targeting Democratic-led states raises questions about whether enforcement priorities are driven by educational policy or political geography. For LGBTQ+ students and families who rely on schools as safe spaces, the investigations signal heightened federal oversight of how districts balance parental notification requirements with student privacy and dignity. The coming "significant actions" promised by the Education Department suggest this scrutiny will intensify, potentially affecting how schools nationwide approach inclusion and confidentiality for vulnerable students.