Investigation Says Monroe Public Schools Did Not Violate Title IX, No Decision On Reinstating AD

Michigan Advance

April 10, 2026

In response to a Title IX investigation launched in December after a parent of a student on Monroe High School’s girls’ volleyball team filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, an independent investigator has determined that the district is not in violation of Title IX.

The investigation revolved around claims that at a Sept. 9, 2025 volleyball game between Monroe High School and Ann Arbor Skyline High School, the two teams shared a locker room. The incident came amid a wave of anti-transgender sentiment from right-wing media outlets and conservative legislators toward a student on the Ann Arbor Skyline girls’ volleyball team.

“Specifically, the investigation concluded that the claims against the District were unsubstantiated regarding equal access to teams, the provision of a safe environment, and the protection of student privacy and bodily integrity,” a letter Superintendent Andrew Shaw sent to families on Thursday said.

An FAQ attached to the letter also added that as a proactive remedial measure, Monroe Public Schools is no longer allowing shared locker rooms with opposing teams.

“It is important to note that while the investigator concluded there were no substantiated violations of Title IX, this determination in no way diminishes the concerns raised by members of our community throughout this process,” the letter continued, adding that further reviews beyond strictly Title IX compliance were still underway. “We recognize that this investigation brought to light important questions regarding our administrative and operational procedures and communication protocols.”

Specifically, one element still being investigated is the question of reinstatement of the district’s Athletic Director, Chet Hesson, who was placed on administrative leave in December just days after Uncloseted Media, a LGBTQ+ news outlet, posted a brief clip on their Instagram account of an interview that they conducted with him.

In Thursday’s letter, Shaw wrote in response to a question about whether or not Hesson had been reinstated, “As additional legal processes related to this matter are still taking place, the District is unable to share further specific details at this time – including any updates on decisions related to District personnel.”

In March, a group of state and local officials from the Ann Arbor area sent a letter to the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education and to Shaw calling for Hesson to be reinstated to his position.

“At their core, Dr. Hesson’s remarks expressed empathy for a young student athlete navigating unconscionable scrutiny, and demonstrated the kind of care and leadership we should expect from educators and athletic leaders entrusted with supporting students,” the letter reads.

One of the legislators leading that letter, state Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), wrote in a statement responding to Thursday’s letter, “Legal compliance is the bare minimum, but integrity requires more. Now it’s time to stop punishing kindness and reinstate Athletic Director Chet Hesson, who did nothing more than show basic human empathy for a student-athlete under fire.”

“For this alleged student at Skyline, my heart goes to them, whether they’re trans or not, just having that much negative eyeball on you and rhetoric is incredible,” Hesson said in the interview. “The amount of pressure that you feel as a 16- or 17- or 18-year-old to have to deal with that, I would not wish that on anybody.”

At the time, Monroe Public Schools said that the district “only issues official statements through the Office of the Superintendent or the Board President,” and that Hesson’s interview “was not previously authorized by the District and is not an official statement on behalf of the District.”

The Title IX complaint was also filed against Ann Arbor Public Schools, as well as the Michigan High School Athletic Association, and the independent investigation in Monroe did not cover those entities.

The Michigan Advance, a hard-hitting, nonprofit news site, covers politics and policy across the state of Michigan through in-depth stories, blog posts, and social media updates, as well as top-notch progressive commentary. The Advance is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.