Smith College campus, a women's liberal arts college. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
An all-women’s college in Massachusetts is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for admitting transgender women.
Big picture view:
The Education Department alleges Smith College may be violating a Title IX exemption that allows colleges to have all-male or all-female student bodies. When announcing the inquiry, the agency stated the exemption applies only to biological sex, not gender identity.
What they're saying:
"An all-women’s college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. "Allowing biological males into spaces designed for women raises serious concerns about privacy, fairness, and compliance under federal law."
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The other side:
Carolyn McDaniel, a spokesperson for Smith College, confirmed the investigation but stated the college does not comment on pending government investigations. In her response, she wrote the college "is fully committed to its institutional values, including compliance with the civil rights laws."
The backstory:
The college’s website states its admissions department considers "any applicants who self-identify as women; cis, trans, and nonbinary women are eligible to apply to Smith."
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Smith began admitting trans women in 2015, two years after a controversy over the college refusing to admit a high school senior whose gender identity did not match what was listed on her financial aid form.
The Associated Press noted that multiple other elite women’s colleges have similar policies.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the U.S. Department of Education, Smith College, and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.