Two school districts that allegedly withheld information about students’ gender identities from parents are at risk of losing federal funding.
The U.S. Department of Education received complaints from parents in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Public Schools, who accused the district of “secretly helping their daughter pretend to be a male at school,” according to a press release.
The parents were denied details about the student’s gender transition and records by administrators, the department contends.
Anne Arundel County, along with Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan, considers a student’s gender identity as “confidential medical information” that cannot be disclosed to parents, according to the Education Department.
Both districts are accused of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which gives parents the right to access their children’s education records.
“As a mother and a grandmother, it is unconscionable that any school district would hide the most sensitive information about children in their care from their own parents,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon. “This is not only an affront to basic moral principles, but also to parents’ rights under federal law.”
Ann Arbor currently has a policy that outlines the proper procedures for supporting students based on their gender identity. For instance, with respect to restrooms, locker rooms or changing facilities, “students shall have access to all facilities that correspond to their gender identity,” according to the policy.
It also states that staff must not disclose information revealing a student’s transgender status, including to parents or guardians, “unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.”
The findings come after a slew of investigations targeting the treatment of transgender students over the past year.
Just this week, the Education Department launched an investigation into Washington’s Bethel School District following reports that it “exposed students to vials of testosterone” as part of a Pride month display in June, according to a press release.
At the start of President Trump’s second term, the Education Department sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to K12 schools and higher education institutions, acknowledging that it would enforce the administration’s 2020 Title IX rule on the basis of biological sex in schools.
The Department scrapped Title IX reforms created under the Biden administration, which were deemed an “unlawful abuse of regulatory power” by the Trump administration.
Earlier this month, the Education Department marked the end of its second annual “Title IX Month” by recapping its major enforcement actions in June alone, including:
- Nine new investigations into schools and education agencies in North Carolina, Michigan and Maryland for allegedly allowing males to compete in girls’ sports.
- Taking federal action against Colorado’s Jefferson County Public Schools for allowing boys to participate in girls’ sports, occupy female bathrooms and locker rooms and share overnight accommodations.
- Informed four Kansas school districts of their ongoing violations of Title IX, three of which have been referred to the Department of Justice for further enforcement action.
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