Minnesota Researchers Develop Gender Identity Dolls for 4-Year-Olds, Triggering Federal Probe
University of Minnesota program created paper dolls with removable genitalia for "gender diverse children" ages 4-10 launching a federal investigation
The Trump administration opened a federal investigation into Minnesota on July 29, 2026, over “MyGender Dolls”, a line of therapeutic paper dolls with removable, interchangeable genitalia designed for children as young as four years old. The dolls were developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, a state-funded program that receives millions in taxpayer dollars annually. The investigation threatens Minnesota’s federal education funding and marks the latest federal challenge to the state’s gender policies.
The Program
MyGender Dolls are described on their commercial website as “a first-of-their-kind therapeutic play approach designed for gender diverse children ages 4–10.” According to the Department of Education’s investigation announcement, the dolls feature “removable, interchangeable internal and external genitalia, gender-neutral names, and clothing (including undergarments) for both sexes.”
The project was developed by Dr. Dianne Berg and Dr. G. Nic Rider, faculty members at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Berg is an associate professor in the department. Rider is an associate professor and licensed psychologist at the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health and serves as director of the National Center for Gender Health.
The MyGender Dolls website lists intended users as “Mental Health Providers, School Counselors & Educators, Pediatricians and Allied Health Professionals.” The site shows the product as “Launching 2026“ with an active waitlist for sign-ups.
The Taxpayer Connection
The University of Minnesota is a public institution that receives approximately $686.6 million annually in state operations and maintenance appropriations—roughly 15% of its total operating budget."The Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, where the dolls were developed, states on its website that its research agenda “has been supported by millions of dollars in state and federal funding.”
The MyGender Dolls project won a Spring 2023 Early Innovation Fund grant from the University of Minnesota. According to university records, these grants provide up to $10,000 for “short-term projects that advance early-stage innovations.”
University officials have insisted the project received no direct state funding. A university spokesperson told the Star Tribune that “the team that developed MyGender Dolls participated in privately funded review competitions and received no state or federal dollars to support the development of the dolls or commercialization efforts.” The researchers have since formed MyGender Dolls LLC, a private company independent from the university.
The Federal Investigation
The Department of Education launched its investigation following a complaint filed by Defending Education, a conservative advocacy organization focused on parental rights. The complaint alleges Minnesota violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law requiring schools to notify parents and provide opt-out opportunities before students participate in activities addressing sensitive topics including sex, mental health, and behavioral attitudes.
According to Defending Education’s complaint, “Minnesota parents in Defending Education’s network have not been informed about MyGender Dolls’ forthcoming launch in their children’s schools, nor is DE aware of any such communications being sent to any Minnesota parents or school board members.”
“No four-year-old should be exposed to such material – especially without a parent’s knowledge or consent,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the Department’s press release. “ED will enforce the law to its fullest extent, putting parents and families firmly in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.”
McMahon added that “Governor Walz and the radical left continue to funnel taxpayer dollars to perverted ideologies that can harm children.”
PPRA violations can result in termination of federal education funding.
State Response
Minnesota education officials and the governor’s office have distanced themselves from the program. The Minnesota Department of Education told local media it “has no involvement” with MyGender Dolls and has no plans to mandate their use.
Governor Tim Walz’s office told Newsweek that “the governor has no connection to this program. It was not developed or funded by the Minnesota Department of Education and is not being implemented in Minnesota schools under the Walz administration.”
However, in 2023, the Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health presented Walz with its “Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Champion Award” for Executive Order 23-03, which protects access to gender-affirming health care in Minnesota. G. Nic Rider, co-creator of MyGender Dolls, was among the faculty members who presented the award.
Berg and Rider told KSTP that “the MyGender Dolls will not be in public schools this year” and are “a therapeutic tool for use by licensed professionals” who must undergo required training. The researchers said “there is no set launch date determined at this time.”
A KSTP investigation contacted 19 of the largest school districts in the Twin Cities metro area. Six responded, and none had heard of the MyGender Dolls project or planned to use it.