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Feds investigate Sultan School District over trans athlete policy

Published 4:58 pm Wednesday, January 14, 2026

By Jenna Peterson

Half of a gym is used for physical education class while the other serves as a makeshift lunch station at the Sultan Elementary School on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 in Sultan, Washington. Students have to walk to the gym to pick up food and then eat in their classrooms. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
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Half of a gym is used for physical education class while the other serves as a makeshift lunch station at the Sultan Elementary School on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024 in Sultan, Washington. Students have to walk to the gym to pick up food and then eat in their classrooms. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Half of a gym is used for physical education class while the other serves as a makeshift lunch station at the Sultan Elementary School on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Sultan, Washington. Students have to walk to the gym to pick up food and then eat in their classrooms. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

EVERETT — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched a Title IX investigation into Sultan School District, the office announced in a press release Wednesday.

The investigation comes after the office received complaints that the district allows transgender athletes to play on teams that align with their gender identity, according to the release.

Sultan School District’s gender-inclusive schools policy states that all students are allowed to participate in athletic programs in a manner consistent with their gender identity. The policy is consistent with other local districts, including Everett, Edmonds and Marysville.

Sultan is one of four school districts in Washington named in the Office for Civil Rights release and one of 18 entities in the country. The investigations come as the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases Tuesday regarding state laws that ban transgender athletes from competing on girls’ sports teams.

Sultan School District representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Check back for updates.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.

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