The Department of Justice under President Trump has announced an investigation into 36 school districts in Illinois, examining policies related to sexual orientation and gender ideology instruction as well as parental opt-out rights.

The federal probe represents one of the new administration's early education policy enforcement actions, focusing on how schools handle gender-related curriculum and whether parents have adequate rights to remove their children from certain instruction.

The investigation will examine whether the school districts' policies comply with federal laws regarding parental rights and educational content. Specific details about which districts are under investigation or the exact nature of the alleged violations have not been disclosed.

The DOJ's action comes amid ongoing national debates over school policies regarding transgender students and gender-related curriculum. Various states have implemented different approaches to these issues, with some requiring parental notification for gender-related discussions and others maintaining student privacy protections.

Illinois has previously been at the center of education policy disputes, particularly regarding how schools communicate with parents about students' gender identity and related support services. The outcome of this federal investigation could have implications for similar policies in other states.