A conservative advocacy group has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) challenging Smith College’s policy of admitting biological males who identify as women. Parents Defending Education argues that the policy violates Title IX regulations and the college’s own equal opportunity commitments.
In a letter submitted to OCR, legal fellow Sarah Parshall‑Perry contends that Smith’s inclusion of gender identity in its nondiscrimination policy conflicts with federal laws and guidance. “Smith’s accommodations for so‑called gender identity encroach upon sex‑specific programs and spaces,” she wrote, and that allowing biological males into a women’s‑only college undermines its stated mission.
Smith’s policy under “Gender Identity and Expression” permits anyone who identifies as a woman—including cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary individuals—to apply. Parshall‑Perry notes the policy allows natal males who identify as women to enroll, while excluding biological females who identify as men—reversing traditional sex segregation.
Further concerns raised include the conversion of restrooms and locker rooms to “all‑gender” facilities, and the provision of hormone therapy through the campus Health & Wellness Center. Parshall‑Perry argues these policies “divest female students of their privacy, safety, and equal educational opportunity.”
Smith College enforces compliance through a Bias Response Team, which investigates incidents based on protected characteristics such as gender identity and penalizes speech considered bigotry or intimidation.
The complaint urges OCR to investigate swiftly, remedy unlawful policies, and provide appropriate relief. Parshall‑Perry emphasized that the anniversary of Title IX—a cornerstone law championed by women’s rights advocates—must not be undermined: “Title IX is worth celebrating, protecting, and enforcing so that men and women can truly be equal—and equally protected—in American education.”
The policy at Smith College tests whether higher education institutions can legally reinterpret Title IX to accommodate gender identity claims that conflict with traditional sex-based classification and separate-sex educational spaces. The OCR’s response could set national precedent.
