Rep. Grijalva Leads Letter Demanding Trump Administration Restore Title IX Protections for Student Survivors
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Grijalva plans to sign onto a forthcoming resolution of impeachment against Education Secretary McMahon
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva, alongside Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and 35 members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), called on Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to immediately restore and enforce critical Title IX protections for students who have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sex discrimination. Rep. Grijalva will also be signing on to a resolution led by Rep. Bonamici to impeach Secretary McMahon for violating her oath of office, making false and misleading statements to Congress, and violating federal law by illegally transferring the operations of multiple offices and more than 100 programs under the Department of Education to other federal agencies without the consent of Congress.
In their letter, the Members raised alarm over the Department of Education’s failure to protect student survivors and hold schools accountable under Title IX. Since the beginning of the Trump Administration, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for investigating claims of discrimination and harassment in schools, has not entered into a single resolution agreement addressing sexual harassment or sexual violence, despite hundreds of pending cases involving student survivors.
“Every student deserves to learn in a safe environment free from sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination,” said Rep. Grijalva. “The Trump Administration has abandoned its responsibility to protect survivors and is instead dismantling the very systems designed to hold bad actors accountable. Students should not have to fight alone for basic civil rights protections. The Department of Education must stop prioritizing political agendas over justice and immediately restore the resources needed to investigate and resolve these cases.”
The Members’ letter highlights the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to weaken the Office for Civil Rights, including placing hundreds of OCR employees on administrative leave and closing regional offices responsible for investigating discrimination complaints. These actions have significantly reduced the agency’s ability to respond to survivors and address a growing backlog of cases.
The Members also condemned the Department’s decision to pursue politically motivated investigations while failing to resolve cases involving actual discrimination and harassment.
“Protecting students’ civil rights is your fundamental responsibility as the Secretary of Education, and instead of using your authority to provide justice to survivors, you are weaponizing it against vulnerable students,” the Members wrote. “That is shameful.”
The Members are demanding that the Department of Education:
- Prioritize the investigation and resolution of pending Title IX complaints;
- Restore resources and staffing dedicated to Title IX enforcement;
- End politically motivated investigations that divert resources away from protecting students; and
- Provide Congress with information on OCR staffing, caseloads, and enforcement activities.
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