Dupage Policy Journal

Shannon Adcock, president of Awake Illinois, said that a father's report of a male student in a girls' bathroom led to the group's Title IX complaint. This statement was made on the Prairie State Wire Podcast.

"We had a father come to us back in November," said Adcock. "A boy was being permitted into his daughter's bathroom. She saw somebody outside her stall through the, you know, little break there in the door. She saw a male standing there in male clothing."

Recent federal developments regarding Title IX have reignited debates over gender identity in public schools. A federal court recently struck down the Biden administration's expanded Title IX protections for transgender students. According to Education Week, this ruling reinstates the narrower 2020 definition of "sex," which excludes gender identity, affecting how schools manage bathroom access and sports participation. The decision has already prompted federal investigations into school districts with inclusive transgender policies, reflecting an intensifying clash between state-level autonomy and federal civil rights enforcement.

According to K12 Dive, incidents involving student bathroom access and gender identity have become increasingly common in U.S. schools. Schools are reporting higher rates of bullying, vandalism, and safety complaints tied to gender-diverse students using sex-segregated spaces. The Human Rights Campaign found in its 2023 report that 59% of transgender and gender-expansive students reported being teased or harassed, with bathrooms and locker rooms cited as the most unsafe areas. These data highlight the tension between inclusion policies and student safety concerns.

As reported by the New Jersey Monitor, legal battles over parental notification policies related to student gender identity have intensified since 2020. States like New Jersey and California are challenging school district efforts to disclose gender changes to parents. The number of parents' rights groups has surged in response, advocating for increased transparency and control over gender-related policies in education. Illinois has seen similar activism through public hearings and school board elections centered on privacy and gender policy in schools.

According to the official website of Awake Illinois, Shannon Adcock is the organization’s founder and president, with a background in education advocacy and community leadership. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 2002 and previously served in her local Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) while leading various school fundraising efforts. Since 2021, she has emerged as a leading voice in Illinois conservative activism, particularly around Title IX and gender identity issues in schools.