02 Feb Pregnant Scholar Research Finds Trump’s Department of Education Has Resolved Zero Cases of Sexual Harassment, Assault, or Pregnancy Discrimination
New research from the Pregnant Scholar at UC Law SF’s Center for WorkLife Law reveals that the U.S. Department of Education did not resolve any sexual harassment, sexual violence, or pregnancy discrimination cases during the first year of President Trump’s second term. The Department resolved only four sex-discrimination cases from its backlog of thousands of open investigations.
For our new report, Abandoned Priorities and Cases in Limbo: An Analysis of Title IX Enforcement in the First Year of Trump’s Second Term, WorkLife Law experts reviewed case resolution and violation reports to understand the scope of Title IX enforcement under the embattled Department of Education. Comparing this administration’s activities with those of the preceding decade, we found:
- OCR did not resolve any cases of sexual harassment, sexual assault, gender harassment, or denial of benefits–despite these issues accounting for more than half of the pending cases at the start of Trump’s term;
- OCR did not resolve a single case of pregnancy discrimination;
- Nearly half of all cases resolved dealt with procedural requirements–whether schools properly posted their Title IX trainings and procedures;
- One in six cases resolved this year were cases OCR initiated (not based on student complaints) to block the participation of trans students in sports.
“These findings make clear that the Department of Education has abandoned its duty to enforce Title IX–leaving thousands of students with open cases in limbo,” said Jessica Lee, Co-Director of WorkLife Law and lead author on the report. “As the Department continues to ignore students’ requests for help, states must step up to provide their own enforcement against sex discrimination.”
When the new administration took office in early 2025, the Department of Education closed seven of 12 regional civil rights offices and laid off roughly half of its staff responsible for handling complaints of discrimination. Hundreds of staff were put on administrative leave, being paid to not work to pursue justice for students who have faced sex discrimination. “As Congress and states debate new laws, it is critical for decisionmakers to understand that the gutted Department of Education is either unwilling or unable to protect pregnant and parenting students who file complaints,” Lee said.
