New Haven officials say the Trump administration has backed off a threat to withhold millions in school funding to the city over a state policy that allows trans athletes to compete with others of their gender in the state’s athletic conference.
New Haven school board members said earlier this month the department told the district to sign a document requiring them to go against the state’s policy on transgender athletes.
New Haven mayor Justin Elicker said the city’s legal team believes it’s reached an agreement with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to release $3 million in grant funding to the city’s magnet schools.
“We’re confident that the agreement does not compromise our values, and it also doesn’t put us in conflict with state law. So we’re happy with the proposed outcome — of course we need to wait and see," Elicker said.
Elicker said a final decision still hasn’t been made.
Earlier this year, the Department of Education sided against two transgender girls in Connecticut who sought to compete against other girls in track competitions. Connecticut’s athletic conference allows them to do so.
