State school board member demands DOJ probe of Michigan's Education Dept.

Max Reinhart and Jennifer Pignolet, The Detroit News on Feb 23, 2026

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A Republican member of the Michigan State Board of Education is asking the federal government to investigate the Michigan Department of Education's policies regarding gender and sex education instruction.

In a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, Nikki Snyder called the state Department of Education the "root problem in education" for creating policies that purportedly violate the Supreme Court's rulings, as well as an executive order by President Donald Trump that threatens to pull federal funding from schools that teach students about "gender ideology" without parental consent.

“The MDE is akin to the Italian mob in its heyday," Snyder said in a statement. "… The power the department has is in its budget of over billions of dollars of grants — to whom, how and when they get paid depending on who is in compliance with the guidelines they write and enforce. Districts must either get-in-line or face financial pain. In other words, follow these guidelines or else."

The department is overseen by the eight-member State Board of Education, which has a 6-2 Democratic majority and in September finalized a contract with Glenn Maleyko to be the state's superintendent.

When asked for comment on Snyder's letter, a Department of Education spokesperson referred The Detroit News to comments the department made last week in support of the districts under investigation and that stressed that the state's updated health education guidelines are not required curricula.

"The Michigan Department of Education will remain committed to putting Students First—and that means all students," Bob Wheaton, director of the MDE Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, said in a statement. "The department will continue to advance education in our state, with student literacy as the top priority."

Snyder's demand came after the Trump Justice Department last week sent letters to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lansing School District and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, asking them to turn over all their course material related to sex education and health education.

The department's Civil Rights Division is investigating whether the districts included any content related to sexual orientation and gender ideology in any class pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and whether schools notified parents about their right to opt their children out of such instruction. They are also working to determine whether the districts limited student access to "single-sex intimate spaces," including bathrooms and locker rooms.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that students have "unfettered access to bathroom and locker rooms of their biological sex," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement last week. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled last year that students may not learn about gender and sexuality without parental consent.

The probe comes after the Michigan Board of Education in November passed new guidelines to help districts set curricula for a wide range of health topics, including gender identity and sexual orientation, with Snyder and other conservatives expressing fierce opposition.

Snyder said that since the MDE is in charge of developing and enforcing the guidelines, it is the "root problem."

“Just like with the health education guidelines, local school districts are being told they must follow the guidelines from the MDE on allowing boys to use girls bathrooms or face repercussions," Snyder said Monday.

The superintendent at Godfrey-Lee said the district is fully cooperating with the investigation. A Detroit district spokesperson said the district is reviewing the Justice Department request. Lansing officials haven't commented.

State Board President Pamela Pugh said in a statement that Snyder does not speak for the board, her words do not reflect the sentiment of the board and that "it is unfortunate she sent it without first consulting her colleagues."

"The Board, acting as a body elected by Michigan voters, adopted updated health education guidelines that provide guidance — not mandates — to local districts," said Pugh, a Saginaw Democrat. "Contrary to the U.S. Department of Justice's claims, these are not state requirements. Under MCL 380.1507, local school boards set health curriculum with input from local sex education advisory boards. Local control remains in place, and parents retain the right to opt their children out of sex education instruction.

"The State Board of Education will continue to support all students. It is notable that the Department of Justice, which inserted itself into this matter last week, is now being further invited into culture war disputes despite the administration's claims it wants to return education to the states."

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