The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced 18 separate Title IX investigations into K‑12 and higher‑education systems over policies that allow transgender students to participate on teams aligned with their gender identity. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said the office is “aggressively pursuing” complaints alleging that those policies jeopardize equal opportunities for women and girls. The probes follow Supreme Court oral arguments in high-profile cases on transgender athlete participation and mirror increased federal scrutiny that could put federal funding at risk for noncompliant institutions. Colleges and districts named in early actions will face compliance reviews, potential corrective agreements, and heightened legal exposure; athletic departments and compliance offices should inventory policies and prepare documentation for imminent federal requests.