Trump Administration Threatens Maryland County Over Secret Gender Transition
The Trump administration is poised to take action against a county in Maryland following allegations from parents that their child underwent a secret sex change process at school. On July 8, parents filed a lawsuit against Anne Arundel County Public Schools, claiming that certain high school officials covertly facilitated the “transition” of students.
In a joint statement, the Department of Justice and the Department of Education issued a warning titled “Trump administration secretly ‘transfers’ school districts and hides them from parents,” which accused various school districts of infringing on parental rights.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants parents the ability to review their child’s educational records and request changes to these records. According to the announcement, the Maryland school allegedly impeded parents’ access to information about their child’s supposed social transition.
“When the parents approached the school administration, the principal declined to divulge any details related to the student’s ‘gender change,’ and the vice principal also withheld relevant records,” the statement noted. “These policies obstructed parents’ ability to exercise their FERPA rights during a crucial time.”
America First Legal, along with Consovoy McCarthy PLLC, is representing the anonymized parents in U.S. District Court for Maryland.
Interestingly, the parents stated that their daughters discovered the school’s covert support for their supposed gender identity when they received emails that referred to them using male pronouns. They emphasized that they had raised their daughter based on a religious belief that views gender as biologically determined, rather than a matter of personal identification, as highlighted in their lawsuit.
“When questioned by law enforcement about this behavior, AACPS employees initially attempted to mislead, but when that failed, they claimed their actions were in line with AACPS policy,” stated the lawsuit.
Ian Prior, a senior advisor at America First Legal, commented, “AACPS mistakenly thinks it holds more authority than parents over the development of students. We are committed to correcting this view. Parents have a fundamental right to know what is occurring in their children’s schools, and they must have the ability to prevent government authorities from imposing radical gender ideologies on their children.”
He also expressed pride in standing with these parents in their struggle to protect their daughters and uphold their constitutional rights.
As of now, AACPS has not issued any comments regarding the situation. The Department of Education referred inquiries to the Department of Justice.
AACPS’s policy outlines that information pertaining to a student’s gender identity is regarded as “sensitive medical information,” and staff are encouraged to use students’ preferred pronouns.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon remarked, “This is a reminder to every school district in the nation: FERPA compliance is not optional. The Department of Justice is prepared to enforce this law vigorously, and districts that conceal sensitive information about children from parents should be ready for immediate federal action.”
