New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is pressing the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the Saratoga Springs City School District. But the district says it has done nothing wrong.
Republican Elise Stefanik, whose sprawling 21st district includes portions of the Saratoga Springs City School District, wrote to Education Secretary Linda McMahon asking the DOE's Office for Civil Rights to investigate.
In March, the Board of Education passed a resolution titled "Affirming our Support for Every Student” in a 7-to-1 vote with one abstention.
The three-page document affirms the district’s commitment to state laws, support for immigrant and transgender students, and includes a call to action to ensure every student feels “valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.”
Kaitlynn Wheeler is an ambassador for The Riley Gaines Center, an organization advocating to keep transgender athletes out of youth and college sports.
Founder Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, began speaking out against trans athletes’ participation in sports after tying for fifth place against a trans athlete at a 2022 NCAA competition.
Wheeler spoke at a board meeting this month.
"Title IX has protected girls for the past 50 years—over. And President Trump's new executive order reinforces that truth; boys do not belong in girls' bathrooms, locker rooms, or sports. Period. But the Saratoga Springs’ board’s policy that was just voted on in an incredible number, a 7-to-1 vote, in lack of support of women, this vote was on March 27th that violated the law, even worse it ignored the voices of every girl in this room, every girl in this state, in this school district it claims to protect," said Wheeler.
Emanuel Cirenza has practiced pediatric health in the region for nearly three decades and is the district’s physician advisor. Speaking at the same meeting, he says concern over the safety of female athletes in the district is a manufactured controversy.
“These issues have always been handled, I can reassure everybody in this room, with the greatest amount of sensitivity to everybody’s needs, each child. Gay, straight, cis, whatever. They have always been handled with each child’s best interests in mind,” said Cirenza.
The district receives more than $3 million in federal funding and officials remain skeptical of any cuts — all of the district's federal funding is congressionally appropriated, meaning it's only amendable by an act of Congress.
Board President Anjie Emeka says March’s resolution didn’t introduce any new policies to the district.
“It’s a resolution, it’s been in place for a while, we felt like the time was right to reaffirm it, to signal to our students and the community and the parents that we do stand by it and that they’re safe coming to our schools. A majority of the board felt like it was the right thing to do to affirm that, we’ve had an overwhelming amount of support,” said Emeka.
Emeka says the district continues to follow all relevant laws.
“The school district is still adhering to all applicable laws, including Title IX, New York State Education Law, Dignity For All Students Act, New York State Human Rights Laws, and even the [New York State] Public School Athletic Association. There’s nothing that we are willfully ignoring or not adhering to. We stand by our statement, it was the right thing to do and still is,” said Emeka.
In a statement, the district says it remains "committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for every student.”
Stefanik has requested an investigation into whether the resolution violates Title IX under President Trump's "Keeping Men out of Women's Sports" executive order.
In a statement, the congresswoman said, “Allowing biological males into girls’ sports and locker rooms is in direct violation of President Trump’s executive order. Our daughters should not be forced to compete against biological men in competitive sports or share a locker room with biological men.”
WAMC has requested comment from the U.S. Department of Education.
In a statement, the New York State Department of Education said, "Saratoga Springs City School District, represented by able counsel, has adopted policies that accurately reflect its legal responsibilities. Any attempt to create a controversy where one does not exist detracts from the important work performed by the staff of the district each day."
