The department says the change violates Title IX because it impacts the rights of female students at the school.

A letter notifying the DPS superintendent of the department's investigation cites 9NEWS' reporting on the restroom change.

On January 16, 2024, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the organization that enforces Title IX, including athletic gender equity, released

The U.S. Department of Education released a letter on Tuesday accusing Denver Public Schools of discriminating against female students with this facility.

The U.S. Education Department said it is investigating Denver Public Schools for alleged discrimination after the district converted a girl’s restroom on the second floor of East High School into an all-gender restroom while leaving the other bathroom exclusively for male students.

The school left female students with no bathroom on the second floor following the change, while male students still have access to a second-floor bathroom.

In a letter to Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero, Trainor cited Title IX of 1972 education law amendments as the basis for the investigation. The law prohibits "discrimination on the basis of sex" by education programs that receive federal money.

An all-gender restroom at East High School in Denver is the subject of an investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Education.

While students were gone over winter break, Denver Public Schools converted a second-floor girls' restroom at East High School to an all-gender bathroom.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights will open an investigation into Denver Public Schools for “discriminating against its female students” by creating an all-gender bathroom at East High School, the agency announced Tuesday.

The nine-page memo from the department’s Office for Civil Rights said NIL money that goes to athletes should be treated the same as athletic financial aid — i.e., scholarships. It’s a position that, if it remains in place after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could upend plans that many schools are making for next school year.