Feds Seek Center Cass Records In 'Gender Ideology' Investigation

DARIEN, IL – The federal government has sought records from Center Cass School District 66 related to an investigation into "gender ideology," the superintendent confirmed this week.

In response to an inquiry, Superintendent Andrew Wise said his district in July uploaded materials that the U.S. Department of Justice requested.

"If the Department of Justice has any additional follow-up questions for us, we will continue to work on providing responsive information," Wise said in an email.

In late April, the department announced it was investigating three dozen Illinois districts to determine whether they were teaching lessons related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The announcement resulted in a burst of publicity, but has received little attention since then.

The targeted districts learned about the investigation the same day that the public was told.

In May, Wise told Patch that the district learned the listed school districts all received the School Violence Prevention Program grant through the Justice Department.

In its April 30 statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her agency was "determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms."

After the announcement, Patch asked the Justice Department for its definition of "gender ideology." The agency did not respond.

Center Cass includes parts of Darien, Downers Grove and Woodridge.