Trump administration threatens Anne Arundel schools over gender identity policy
The Trump administration is threatening legal action and the loss of federal funding over the Anne Arundel County school system's gender identity policy.
In a joint statement, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) alleged that schools in the district withheld information from parents about a student's gender identity and gender transition.
The department claims the school district violated parental rights protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
"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,
The Department of Education said its SPPO received complaints from parents in Anne Arundel County who found out that the school was secretly helping their daughter pretend to be male at school after the parents received an email that referred to their daughter by male pronouns.
The department said the principal declined to provide details about the student's gender transition, while the assistant principal refused to hand over the child's relevant records.
"These policies and practices unlawfully impeded the parents' ability to exercise their FERPA rights when it mattered most," the ED said.
"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. This is not only an affront to basic moral principles, but also to parents' rights under federal law," said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. "Today, ED and DOJ are putting districts on notice that we will use every tool available to hold them to account for this egregious behavior. Under the Trump administration, ED and DOJ are working together to vigorously uphold parents' federal protections, and we will work to ensure that no parent is ever kept in the dark about important matters relating to their children."
Earlier this month, two parents announced a federal lawsuit, alleging the school "socially transitioned" their child without notice or their consent by using a masculine name and masculine pronouns for Mary Doe, according to The Baltimore Banner.
CBS News Baltimore reached out to Anne Arundel County schools for comment but has not heard back.
