Anne Arundel schools amend gender identity policy after Trump administration threat
Anne Arundel County Public Schools amended its gender identity policy after a letter by the Trump administration threatened the district with legal action and the loss of federal funding.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell wrote in a letter Wednesday that the school district is updating its policies regarding "safe and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students, and its compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)."
The amended policy clarifies that parents have the right to inspect and review their child's complete education record.
Bedell said no policy can interfere with parents' rights to information regarding a student's gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, preferred name or pronouns.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education threatened to sue the district and withhold federal funding after alleging that schools in the district withheld information from parents about a student's gender identity and gender transition.
The departments alleged that the school district violated parental rights protected by FERPA. The federal law generally prohibits schools that receive federal education funding from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student's education records without a parent's or guardian's consent, except in limited circumstances.
"As made clear by these amendments, no policy, guideline, or practice may limit or otherwise interfere with parental rights under FERPA, and this includes any information maintained in education records that relates to gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, preferred name, or preferred pronouns," Bedell wrote.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools came under scrutiny from the Trump administration after two families sued, alleging school staff assisted a student with transitioning and withheld information from the student's parents.
"ED's Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to take enforcement action against Anne Arundel County after determining the District improperly classifies information about a student's so-called 'gender identity' as 'confidential medical information' that cannot be shared with parents," the Department of Education stated.
In its statement, the Education Department said the SPPO received complaints from parents in Anne Arundel County who learned that the school "was secretly helping their daughter pretend to be male at school" after the parents received an email referring to their daughter with male pronouns.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools previously responded to inquiries about the joint statement from the DOJ and Education Department.
"AACPS first learned of the U.S. Department of Education's assertions through its July 27, 2026, press release," the school district said at the time. "The school system has not received any formal notice, findings, correspondence, or supporting documentation regarding the actions described. Once such information is received, AACPS and its legal counsel will carefully review it and respond through the appropriate process. AACPS takes its responsibilities under FERPA seriously and cannot discuss matters involving an individual student."
You can read the full amendment here.
