Aug 6
Brown University Settlement with Trump Administration Raises Alarms Over Transgender Student Access
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On July 30, 2025, Brown University finalized an agreement with the Trump administration to restore over $50 million in previously frozen federal research funding. In exchange, the university agreed to a series of terms impacting admissions, campus programming, and, most controversially, its treatment of transgender students . The settlement requires Brown to adopt the definitions of “male” and “female” contained in President Trump’s Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism,” for women's sports, programming, facilities, and housing .
According to the agreement, Brown will also pay $50 million over ten years to state workforce development organizations that comply with anti-discrimination laws and will be subject to a three-year monitoring period to ensure continued compliance with the settlement and federal law .
The settlement’s requirement to use federal definitions of gender—effectively restricting recognition to sex assigned at birth—has ignited concern among LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and advocacy groups. “Everyone I talked to thought it only applied to sports. But it applies to everything,” a transgender student told The Advocate, highlighting the sweeping scope of the new policy .
LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and student groups have decried the settlement as “profoundly disturbing,” warning that it makes the campus “functionally inaccessible” for transgender people. Critics argue that by using restrictive definitions of gender, the university is undermining the safety, dignity, and inclusion of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse students throughout all aspects of campus life .
The settlement comes in the wake of recent national debates over the rights of transgender students and the role of federal oversight in higher education. Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the deal ensures students will be judged “solely on their merits, not their race or sex,” and praised the agreement as a reversal of what she called the “decades-long woke-capture” of higher education institutions .
However, legal experts and education leaders, including Ted Mitchell of the American Council on Education, have noted that the settlement goes beyond existing Supreme Court decisions on race in admissions by barring “any proxy for racial admission,” such as diversity statements, and by imposing gender definitions that conflict with many universities’ established non-discrimination policies .
The university’s own statement emphasizes that while it will continue to provide gender-inclusive, women-only, and men-only housing and restroom options, it must now do so within the constraints of the new federal definitions . President Christina H. Paxson affirmed that Brown will “continue to foster free inquiry, discovery and innovation,” but acknowledged the limitations imposed by the agreement.
National and local LGBTQ+ organizations have called on Brown to prioritize the safety and well-being of transgender students, and to advocate for more inclusive federal policies. The settlement has sparked concern that other universities may face similar pressures, potentially rolling back protections and support systems for LGBTQ+ students across the country .
Advocates are urging prospective students, faculty, and allies to remain vigilant and to demand transparency and accountability from university leadership. “This is not just about Brown,” one organizer told The Advocate. “This sets a dangerous precedent for all institutions of higher learning in the United States” .
While Brown’s ability to compete for federal grants is restored, LGBTQ+ advocates assert that true educational access cannot exist without policies that affirm the identities and experiences of all students, regardless of gender identity. The coming months will test the university’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment amid increased federal scrutiny and rapidly shifting legal landscapes.
