California Department of Education Faces Federal Scrutiny

A recent announcement from the California Department of Education (CDE) revealed that it has allegedly violated federal law by implementing gender secrecy policies in schools. This claim was made public on Wednesday, prompting concerns about compliance with legal standards.

A senior official in the department informed the Daily Caller News Foundation that the CDE is actively pursuing legal action against schools in California that do not adhere to state laws requiring the concealment of students’ gender identities from their parents. The state has a two-week deadline to respond to the federal request for compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects student privacy and parental rights.

Officials stated, “For years, CDE policies have pressured schools to violate FERPA by keeping records related to a child’s so-called gender reassignment hidden from parents.” The investigation uncovered practices where schools maintain confidential documents, like gender support plans, claiming these are not part of the student records parents can access under FERPA.

The department did not specify what actions it might take if the state continues to defy federal directives.

California law prevents school officials from sharing details regarding a child’s gender identity without parental consent. Federal authorities have noted that they are “aggressively targeting and even suing school districts” which refuse to comply with FERPA, thus maintaining secrecy about students’ gender identities.

A senior department official reiterated, “State law and CDE policy do not override federal law.” According to him, FERPA mandates that schools must provide access to all educational records upon a parent’s request, meaning schools cannot selectively decide which records to share with parents.