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Worth Fighting · Education research

How We Research Title IX Sports and School Privacy Policies

Reviewed October 10, 2026 · Primary documents, visible evidence gaps

Source hierarchy and publication method

This is a purposive seven-state research sample, not a census of U.S. schools, laws, athletes or enforcement activity. The 20 organizations were selected for official policy documents or a documented connection to the reviewed federal matters.

Record units differ: one state record, one organization record, one federal matter or grouped announcement, and one court case. A multi-district announcement counts once in the federal table. The same organization may appear in several tables; counts must not be added as unique institutions.

Source priority is enacted law; operative court opinion/order and official docket; signed agreements and official letters; agency announcements; association manuals; district policies and board records; then party filings. Party allegations and legal positions are attributed. A docket mirror is a research lead where direct court access failed.

October 10, 2026 is the last-check date, not the date of every source or a claim that all later events were available. Each record states the latest independently reviewed event. Older official documents and blocked sources are identified explicitly.

Four state pages and six organization pages were selected for differentiated, usable primary-document detail. Two Supreme Court case pages have controlling opinions. Other candidates remain research records, with specific reasons for withholding a standalone page.

Written policy does not establish actual compliance or implementation. We did not request student records, inspect facilities, evaluate individual athletes or reproduce names or identifying circumstances of minors. Public case pseudonyms are used only to identify the requested cases.

Unknown/not located means the reviewed evidence does not establish the answer. It does not mean no policy, no investigation, noncompliance, or a legally required practice. Conflicting dates are not silently reconciled; publication dates do not substitute for adoption/effective dates.

Corrections should identify the record and attach a public primary document through the site corrections route. Subsequent updates should preserve old dated exports, revise affected records and record the precise change.

Status definitions

Enacted / proposed
An enacted statute is adopted law; a bill or draft is not. Effective date and practical implementation are separate.
Investigation
An agency is examining allegations. Opening a case does not establish a violation.
Agency finding
The agency has reached a determination under its authority. This is not a court judgment.
Proposed / signed resolution
A proposal is an offer of terms. A signed agreement requires an executed document; acceptance is never inferred from a deadline.
Referral / filed lawsuit
A referral asks another agency to act. A filed lawsuit requires a complaint and court docket.
Complaint / court order
A complaint sets out a party’s allegations and requested relief. An operative court order establishes what the court actually did.
Preliminary / permanent relief
Temporary relief pending litigation differs from final remedies; scope comes from the operative order.
Appeal / stay
An appeal does not by itself pause the challenged order or policy. A stay must be separately verified.
Rule / local practice
State law, association eligibility rules and district policies have different coverage. None alone proves actual local practice.
Research record
Useful evidence exists, but a stated gap prevents a sufficiently supported standalone page.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Supreme Court require every school to exclude transgender girls from girls’ sports?

No. The June 30, 2026 joint opinion upheld the challenged West Virginia and Idaho restrictions. Footnote 1 expressly leaves a different question—whether schools may permit participation—unresolved. It is not a general facilities or lodging decision.

Does a Title IX investigation mean a school violated the law?

No. An opening announcement records allegations and an inquiry. Agency findings, signed agreements and judicial rulings are separate stages, shown in separate fields.

Are sports eligibility and locker-room rules the same policy?

They can appear in the same handbook, but they address different decisions. This tracker separates team eligibility, shared facilities, privacy alternatives and overnight accommodations. MCPS’s current handbook is one documented example.

Is this a complete national compliance ranking?

No. It is a dated, purposive review of seven states and 20 organizations. Missing documents are recorded as Unknown/not located, not scored as violations.

Where should families or coaches request a policy or report a concern?

Use the school or association’s official route linked in its record. Ask for the current written eligibility, privacy and appeal procedures. The tracker does not collect personal student information.

Update log

  1. Initial researched release: seven state records, 20 organizations, eight federal matters and five cases. Four state, six organization and two case detail pages published. Blocked documents and subsequent-docket gaps retained.

Have a newer public document? Send a correction with the record name and source.