EXCLUSIVE — The House Education and Workforce Committee is launching an investigation into the University of Minnesota’s “MyGender Dolls” program, demanding answers as to whether taxpayers helped fund it.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), the committee’s chairman, sent a letter to Kristen Mark, director of the school’s Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, voicing concerns about how the transgender dolls with removable genitalia were funded and their use as teaching materials to children as young as 4 years old.
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“The Committee seeks specific information about the MyGender Dolls research project and any plans to implement the project in public elementary school settings,” the letter, which was exclusively sent to the Washington Examiner, said. “The Committee is concerned about whether funds received under any of these ESEA programs have been or will be used by district or school staff for deployment of the dolls.”
The use of these “therapeutic” transgender dolls is being called into question under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which establishes requirements for educational accountability and how schools receive and use federal grant funding.
A “MyGender Dolls” featured image on the University of Minnesota’s Pride Month page. (Courtesy: University of Minnesota) 
“MyGender Dolls” can be seen in some phase of a sexual transition at a table with project lead professor Dianne Berg. (Courtesy: University of Minnesota’s Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health Annual Report 2024) 
Images of “MyGender Dolls.” (Courtesy: mygenderdolls.com)
The school announced the program as early as 2024, according to its annual report. Based on further research by the Washington Examiner, the school did not mention the MyGender Dolls program in its 2025 annual report. Each report includes a substantial list of donors, some of whom are anonymous, and a number of donors gave more than $1 million.
“The text [2024 report] references ‘generous grant and donation support’ without providing further details on the categories or sources of funding, including whether any funding sources are federal,” Walberg’s letter said.
Walberg also highlighted what he described as a lack of transparency on the dolls’ website, where little information is offered about where the dolls are intended to be used and when they will be distributed.
“Launching 2026” and “Join the Waitlist” are seen on the site.
The dolls are designed for children aged 4 to 10.
“MyGender Dolls are designed for the clinicians and educators who show up for these kids every day — providing developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed resources that didn’t exist before,” the website says.
The website features photos of the dolls, including one that appears to be a boy wearing a dress with socks and loafers.
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The American College of Pediatrics cited an article by the College Fix, which said the dolls used to have a dedicated webpage on the university’s official website, but it was removed some time after the publication first reported on it in December 2024.
One page on the school’s website for Pride Month features a pop-up on the dolls at the bottom of the page labeled “A reflection of ‘me.’”
“Created at the U of M’s National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, MyGender Dolls illustrate why gender diversity representation matters for children,” the pop-up reads. However, it leads to a blank URL.
The New York Post said the dolls have detachable internal and external genitalia, and have gender-neutral names such as “Sam,” “Rory,” “Avery,” and “Parker.” The dolls come with more than 100 different options for clothing, hair, and accessories.
The New York Post also said the project was funded by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN).
The Trump administration called for an investigation into the program. The Education Department said the program needs to comply with the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which has to do with federal student privacy laws in regard to their parents’ constitutional rights. It is designed to protect student privacy by requiring schools to notify parents and, in some cases, obtain their consent.
The House committee voiced the same concerns to the school about the PPRA in its letter.
In July, nonprofit organization Defending Education filed a complaint against the state of Minnesota, alleging that the program violates federal student privacy law and parents’ constitutional rights.
The House committee asked Mark to supply it with several answers regarding the program.
- Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Provide a list of federal funding resources that have supported the development of the project, and to identify the grant or program name.
- Provide copies of the grant awardees’ applications associated with the project.
- Provide copies of notification letters informing applicants of the grant awards.
- Starting Jan. 1, 2024, provide all documents and communications between you, staff, researchers, workers, the Institute, two professors at the school, the staff at the Minnesota Department of Education, and any elementary school staff that allude to or mention the ‘MyGender Dolls’ project.
- All applications and communications regarding school participation in the MyGender Dolls project.
- Documents showing funding sources for school participation, including any federal funding.
- Copies of guidance regarding parental consent for student participation in the MyGender Dolls project.
- Documents showing whether minors participated or will participate in the development or activities of the MyGender Dolls project.
The committee requested that the school send its response no later than Sept. 14.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the Education Department, the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, the university’s sexual and gender health clinic, and professor Dianne Berg, who was listed as the project’s lead, for comment.
Berg’s automated response indicated she is on sabbatical until Oct. 19.
