Status On Feds' Inquiry Into Darien-Area School District

DARIEN, IL – The federal government announced in late April that it would investigate three dozen school districts to determine whether they are teaching lessons related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

One of those districts is Center Cass School District 66, which includes parts of Darien, Downers Grove and Woodridge.

On Wednesday, Patch emailed Superintendent Andrew Wise about the status of the investigation and whether the U.S. Justice Department had sought information from Center Cass.

He responded, "We have not heard anything from the Department of Justice since the initial letter."

The district received the letter April 30, the same day as the department's public announcement.

Patch left a message for comment with the department's media relations office.

In a statement in early May, Center Cass said it did not know how it was selected, but was confident it complies with state and federal laws and court precedents.

A short while later, Wise said the district learned the listed school districts all received the School Violence Prevention Program grant through the Justice Department.

In the 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.