The US Department of Education is opening investigations into Albuquerque Public Schools and Santa Fe Public Schools in New Mexico, and Pine-Richland School District and Pennsbury School District in Pennsylvania, over allegations that the districts concealed student gender transitions or gender identity information from parents.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the Trump administration has made parental rights and classroom transparency central to its education agenda. “Policies designed to conceal or hide the most sensitive information about a child’s well-being not only violate federal law but also educators’ moral obligation to let parents be the first decision-makers in their child’s lives,” McMahon told The Daily Wire.
In New Mexico, federal officials say Albuquerque Public Schools uses a directive requiring schools to use a student’s preferred name and pronouns and to keep gender identity information out of permanent school records that parents might see. In Santa Fe, officials say parents alleged the district created “gender support plans” and used a “Name & Pronoun Info Sheet” asking students what names and pronouns teachers should use, including what to use in front of parents.
In Pennsylvania, federal officials say Pennsbury School District helped a girl socially transition and present as a boy for nearly three years without her parents’ knowledge or consent. The district allegedly used a male name and pronouns for her and kept records, communications, awards, and social media posts reflecting a male identity. The Justice Department is partnering with the Education Department in the Pine-Richland investigation, where officials say district policies directed staff, including nurses and school psychologists, to help children obtain gender transition resources without parental knowledge or consent.
The Education Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office will examine whether the districts violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which gives parents access to their children’s education records, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which requires notice and written parental consent for certain surveys or evaluations on sensitive subjects. Federal officials say violations can lead to loss of federal funding.
