Trump administration sues school district over trans-inclusive policy

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has sued a Kansas public school district, accusing it of allowing transgender students to use their chosen names and genders at school without sufficient parental involvement.

Described by the US Department of Education as a “first-of-its-kind lawsuit”, the case accuses the district of “facilitating secret ‘gender transitions’ for children at school without their parents’ knowledge or consent”.

The DOE says the school has violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), infringing on parental rights.

“Kansas Public Schools does not know children better than their own parents” – Harmeet K. Dhillon on the lawsuit

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said: “Parental rights are paramount in the operation of America’s public schools, and Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools does not know children better than their own parents.”

“The Department will not tolerate school districts playing fast and loose with federal law in the service of radical gender ideology.”

The Trump administration began stepping up enforcement of existing parental-rights laws in 2025, with the DOE specifically targeting school policies that it said concealed transgender students’ gender identities or transitions from their parents.

US Department of Education scraps trans protection civil rights agreements

The DOE later scrapped civil rights agreements protecting transgender students in April 2026, ending federal oversight of five school districts and one college. The agreements had required measures including staff training on students’ names and pronouns and access to gender-appropriate bathrooms.

“For decades, schools operated with little accountability as federal parental rights laws like FERPA and PPRA went unenforced, allowing some districts to cut parents out of deeply personal matters involving their own children,” said US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “That era is over.”

“Schools cannot hide sensitive information from parents” – Linda McMahon on the The Trump Administration’s efforts

“The Trump Administration is enforcing these laws at an unprecedented scale and making clear that schools cannot hide sensitive information from parents and expect to operate with impunity,” McMahon continued.

LGBTQ+ advocates have argued that confidentiality can be crucial for young trans people growing up in less accepting households.

Sean Ebony Coleman, founder of Destination Tomorrow, said trans students deserve schools they can trust but noted that Donald Trump’s agenda is making safety impossible.

Writing for Attitude, he said: “The question before us is whether rights and dignity are treated as fundamental values or privileges to be granted and taken away.”