Denver Public Schools (DPS) came under fire last Thursday from the U.S. Department of Education, which found that it violated Title IX when it created all-gender bathrooms and allowed students to use whatever bathroom they identify with, rather than the one that corresponds with their sex.

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said in a letter that the school district’s decision did not align with federal Title IX requirements, which prohibit sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive taxpayer funding.

The school district came under federal investigation in January over its bathroom policy at East High School when it transformed a restroom for girls into an all-gender bathroom.

District officials have repeatedly stated that the district updated bathrooms for students after receiving feedback that they were concerned about privacy and security.

District leaders said the East High School’s bathrooms feature partitions that are 12 feet high and surround toilets and urinals to help protect the privacy and security of students. The district also has continued to say that students have a choice of traditional male and female bathrooms as well as single-stall, all-gender restrooms throughout the school.

The decision to make changes to the bathroom was made by students, district officials say. However, the federal department said that the decision to make the all-gender bathrooms would “subject students to a sexually hostile environment” and it also denied students equal access to educational opportunities.

Thursday’s letter from the U.S. Department of Education to Denver Public Schools is a resolution letter that if the district doesn’t agree to the demands by a set deadline could lead to enforcement actions, including cutting federal taxpayer dollars.

In its letter, the Education Department said that if DPS does not agree to its resolution, it could lose federal funds. Under the resolution, Denver Public Schools must:

Restore the all-gender multi-stall restroom back to a restroom designated for girls;

Restore policy that allows students to use a restroom other than the one that corresponds to their biological sex;

Define “male” and “female” according to biology in all of its policies and practices on Title IX;

Send a memorandum to the school reiterating the importance of protecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of students when it comes to bathrooms and ensure they are “equally accessible to both sexes.”

Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor released a statement about the incident, saying that the school district in Denver failed to “protect the privacy and safety of its students.”

“Denver Public Schools violated Title IX and its implementing regulations by converting a sex-segregated restroom designated for girls in East High School to an ‘all-gender’ facility and by allowing students to use the high school’s intimate facilities on the basis of their gender identity rather than their biological sex,” Trainor said in a statement. “Denver is free to endorse a self-defeating gender ideology, but it is not free to accept federal taxpayer funds and harm its students in violation of Title IX,” Trainor continued. “The Trump Administration will work relentlessly to hold accountable school districts that harbor the ideological fanatics and policies that sully students’ educational experience with sex discrimination.”

District officials have said they are going to continue to provide multiple bathroom options for all students. However, they have not responded to the letter from the federal government regarding their decision.

In the past, district officials have said that its decision to change bathroom policy for students at East High School was the result of students leading the process and changes to all-gender bathrooms were made to best fit the needs of students.