U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary
05/01/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Durbin Statement On Sham DOJ Investigation Into Illinois School Districts
May 01, 2026
Durbin Statement On Sham DOJ Investigation Into Illinois School Districts
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) sham investigation into 36 Illinois public school districts:
"I can save DOJ some time. Their investigators will find 36 Illinois school districts dedicated to providing their students with a good, well-rounded education.
"If the Trump Administration truly cared about supporting Illinois students and their education, it would reverse the decision to dismantle the Department of Education, finally support Head Start programs, and stop attacking Title I funding and the rights of LGBTQ+ students.
"Instead, this President is once again weaponizing DOJ to carry out a sham investigation against a state that did not vote for him in the 2024 election."
According to DOJ, the following Illinois school districts will be investigated:
- Atwood Heights School District 125
- Bloomington Public Schools District 87
- Bluford Unit School District 318
- Buncombe Consolidated School District 43
- Center Cass School District 66
- Central School District 104
- Community High School District 155
- Country Club Hills School District 160
- Crete-Monee School District 201-U
- DeKalb Community Unit School District 428
- East Dubuque Unit School District 119
- Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
- Freeport School District 145
- Galena Unit School District 120
- Gillespie Community Unit School District 7
- Iroquois County Community Unit School District 9
- Leyden Community High School District 212
- Lick Creek Community Consolidated School District 16
- Lyons School District 103
- Martinsville Community Unit School District C3
- Meridian Community Unit School District 223
- Noble Network of Charter Schools
- North Chicago Community Unit School District 187
- North Palos School District 117
- Norwood Elementary School District 63
- O'Fallon Community Consolidated School District No. 90
- Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123
- Odin Public School District 722
- Oregon Community Unit School District 220
- Pembroke Community Consolidated School District 259
- Reavis Township High School District 220
- Ridgeview Community Unit School District 19
- Stockton Community Unit School District 206
- Tamaroa School District 5
- Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215
- Will County School District 92
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