Trump administration threatens Kansas school district funding over transgender student policy
The Trump administration on Tuesday said it would pursue enforcement action that could include withholding federal funding from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools over its policies that the administration says prevent staff from notifying parents of a transgender student's gender identity.
The Education Department said that Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools’ policy of not disclosing a student's transgender status to their parents violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The agency announced it was partnering with the Justice Department to take "appropriate enforcement measures," including applicable judicial proceedings and potential loss of federal funding.
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"Kansas City Kansas Public Schools' sustained efforts to sidestep FERPA, conceal its true policies, and obstruct parents’ lawful access to their children’s education records represents a serious and deliberate breach of federal law," said Frank Miller, Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office at the Education Department.
"A strong and coordinated enforcement partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Justice will ensure districts are held accountable and fully honor parents’ rights," he added.
According to the government, the district's policy affirms that school personnel "should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents."
"Despite the Department’s proposed Resolution Agreement, which outlined specific actions the District should take to remedy their FERPA violations, the District continues to ignore federal parental rights law," the Education Department said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the district for comment.
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The administration has threatened to pull federal funding from several other districts across the country over transgender policies.
Earlier this year, the Education Department said policies concerning transgender students in four Kansas school districts, including Kansas City and Kansas Public Schools, were violating federal law.
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aimed at barring transgender women and girls from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that states may bar transgender women and girls from girls’ and women’s sports, upholding Idaho and West Virginia laws while not requiring states without such bans to adopt them.
Reuters contributed to this report.
