Federal officials confirmed that the investigation was opened on Dec. 28 looking at whether the district discriminated against American Indian students in school discipline and on the basis of race and disability by denying students access to appropriate special education services.

A search tool for federal investigations shows two open investigations against the Wolf Point School District that are race-based, but both were opened in January 2018.

The law firm representing the school district pointed to its original response to the complaint:

"The Wolf Point Public School District is keenly aware of the challenges facing our students and in particular our Native American Students," said a statement attributed to attorney Jeff Weldon.

Attorney Jeana Lervick, who represents the district, said the district was "disappointed" in the national stories and said that student privacy laws prevented the district from addressing situations involving individual students.

"Wolf Point Schools does not discriminate against its students, and works exceptionally hard to ensure educational opportunities for all," she said in an email.