The Trump administration’s civil-rights enforcement effort intensified as the U.S. Department of Education opened a Title IX investigation into Smith College’s admissions policy, alleging the school may be admitting “biological males” into women’s intimate spaces, including dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletics. Smith’s policy allows applicants who self-identify as women, including trans and nonbinary students, and it says it does not comment on pending investigations. The case highlights the narrowing window for private, women’s colleges to operate under federal civil-rights rules tied to any federal funding they receive. The Massachusetts investigation follows closely on the broader pattern of state and institutional legal challenges tied to gender policy and access—setting up potential court battles over how Title IX is applied to campus housing and student activities. For institutional leaders, the near-term operational question is less about admission decisions on paper and more about what accommodations, space access, and athletics policies must look like to reduce compliance risk.