WASHINGTON (Covering Katy News) — In August of 2023, the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees, led by President Victor Perez, established policies requiring parental notification for students seeking gender transitions and maintaining birth gender-based access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams. Nearly two years later, the U.S. Justice Department is announcing investigations into institutions taking contrary approaches, suggesting alignment with Katy ISD's position on gender issues.
The controversy stems in part from the Biden Administration's re-interpretation of Title IX, a 50-year-old federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. While not the primary focus initially, Title IX has also had a significant impact on women's sports, ensuring equal opportunities for girls and women in high school and college sports.
"Amid a staggering volume of Title IX complaints, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice announced the Title IX Special Investigations Team (SIT) to ensure timely, consistent resolutions to protect students, and especially female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities," a DOJ press release said.
DOJ Announcement Follows Court Ruling Against Biden Administration
The DOJ announcement comes after U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, in the final days of the Biden Presidency scrapped the entire 1,500-page Biden administration reinterpretation of Title IX after deciding it was "fatally tainted by legal shortcomings," the Associated Press reported on January 9, 2025.
Katy ISD Policy Passed by Narrow Margin
The 2023 Katy ISD gender policy narrowly passed 4-3 with support from Perez, Amy Thieme, Morgan Calhoon and Mary Ellen Cuzela, with no votes from Rebecca Fox, Dawn Champagne and Lance Redmon. Read our coverage of that vote here.
The vote came after hours of contentious public testimony with people lining up on both sides some people mocking Perez with caustic comments.
Perez, a Cuban immigrant who had fled the suppression of free speech under Castro's communist regime, has first-hand experience with how authoritarian systems silence opposition. He never reacted to the caustic comments and let them continue until all who signed up to speak had been given an opportunity to do so. Now Perez appears vindicated by the Justice Department investigation that aligns with the board majority's position on parental rights and gender policies.
Also Read: Katy ISD Gender Policy withstands Biden Administration Challenge
DOJ Emphasizes Protection of Women's Rights
"Protecting women and women's sports is a key priority for this Department of Justice," said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "This collaborative effort with the Department of Education will enable our attorneys to take comprehensive action when women's sports or spaces are threatened and use the full power of the law to remedy any violation of women's civil rights."
Given that Title IX cases can take years to complete, the joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice aims to expedite the process through a specialized team to ensure "timely, consistent resolutions to protect students."
"Establishment of the Title IX SIT will benefit women and girls across this nation who have been subjected to discrimination and indignity in their educational activities," the press release said.