A legal organization, America First Legal (AFL), has formally requested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate the Deerfield Public Schools District 109 in Illinois following allegations concerning the privacy of female students.
The referral, made on Tuesday, stems from claims that middle school girls were compelled to change in a locker room alongside a transgender student. AFL’s complaint alleges violations of federal and state laws, specifically citing Section 241 – the “Conspiracy against rights” statute, which criminalizes attempts to injure or intimidate individuals exercising their constitutional or legal rights.
“We ask that your office promptly open a directed criminal investigation into the allegations in the complaint for violations of § 241, take all actions necessary,” the complaint stated.
AFL senior counselor Ian Prior argued the situation has escalated beyond a Title IX violation and necessitates a criminal inquiry. “Students should not have their First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment Rights sacrificed at the altar of radical transgender madness,” he asserted. “The woke government bureaucrats that view the Constitution as nothing more than toilet paper should face the long arm of our Justice Department.”
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is already investigating Deerfield Public Schools District 109, along with the Chicago Public School District and Illinois Department of Education, for potential Title IX violations.
This investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Nicole Georgas, an Illinois mother who alleges her 13-year-old daughter was pressured to change in front of a transgender student. According to Ms. Georgas, the incident occurred after her daughter refused to change into her physical education uniform due to the presence of the male student.
During a recent Board of Education meeting, Georgas stated: “The girls want their locker rooms and bathrooms back. They want their privacy back. This is why I’m here tonight. My 13-year-old daughter’s well-being, mental health and privacy are at stake.”
Georgas further claimed that school administrators indicated the transgender student was permitted to use both the girls’ bathroom and locker room, citing direction from the district’s legal counsel.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 previously released a statement acknowledging the DOE investigation. The statement emphasized compliance with Illinois law, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, including access to facilities aligning with a student’s gender identity.
The district’s response stated:
“Deerfield Public Schools District 109 complies with state law. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits all public school districts from discriminating on the basis of sex, including gender identity, and mandates that students must be permitted access to the locker room and bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.”
The district further highlighted renovations completed in 2017 which included five private changing stations in each middle school locker room, available for use by all students. They also reiterated their commitment to providing private locations for students who prefer not to change within the main locker room.
Concluding its statement, the district expressed a desire to work with families and emphasized a commitment to upholding the law while requesting respectful dialogue on this sensitive issue.