More than 100 school board members across Minnesota are urging the state to comply with federal rules that ban transgender athletes from participating in female sports. The members say failure to do so could cost schools millions in federal funding and harm students statewide.
Jack Aakhus, a board member from Bemidji Area Schools, said the issue is not worth risking critical federal aid. “You’ve got something like a billion to a billion and a half dollars for about a million Minnesota students being put at risk over something that common sense tells you we should avoid,” he said.
The letter, signed by school board members from areas including Alexandria, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, and Fergus Falls, follows a September 30th notice from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services (HHS). The federal agencies said the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) had violated Title IX by allowing males to compete in female sports and use female-only facilities such as locker rooms and restrooms.
Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding. The departments warned that Minnesota’s current policies are out of compliance and could lead to the loss of federal support if not corrected soon.
In their joint letter, the school board members expressed concern over fairness in competition and student safety. “We all know that, on average, biological males have physical advantages in areas like muscle mass and bone density,” said Aakhus. “It just doesn’t make sense for them to be competing in the same sports as females.”
Board Chair Dave Wall of Bemidji Area Schools echoed that view, saying, “We don’t need to go down this road. Let’s keep them separate for the sake of boys playing against boys and girls playing against girls.”
The letter also pointed to privacy and safety concerns. “Allowing males into female-only locker rooms and restrooms leads to documented harms to female students’ safety, privacy, and access to educational activities,” it read. The members argued that protecting those spaces is important for maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students.
The federal departments have proposed a Resolution Agreement, giving the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League until October 10 to voluntarily resolve the violations. If they fail to comply, enforcement actions could begin, including possible withholding of funds that support education programs, extracurricular activities, and other student resources across the state.
“If they do withhold funding, that’s going to be another major detriment to schools across Minnesota,” Wall said.
The board members urged the state to take swift action to align with federal law, emphasizing that the issue is not just about sports but about protecting educational opportunities and ensuring fairness for all students.
