Justice Department Sues Anne Arundel County Public Schools Over Secret Gender Transitions of Students
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced on Oct. 27 in Washington that it has sued Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) in Maryland, alleging the district secretly “gender transitions” children without their parents' knowledge or consent and blocks parents' access to information about their children, in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
“Schools should not discuss preferred pronouns or ‘gender identity’ with a student without parental notification and consent,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “Parents should not be lied to, stonewalled, or branded as ‘safety concerns’ when they ask to see the education records that reveal what schools are secretly doing to their children. This Department will end illegal school policies that keep parents in the dark.”
The complaint alleges that AACPS directs school staff to solicit, document, and act upon a student's self-identified name, pronouns, and “gender identity” without notifying parents. AACPS designates “gender identity” information as “confidential” and instructs staff to withhold it from parents based on the unilateral assertion that informing parents would pose a “safety concern” to students.
The complaint further alleges that AACPS reports “gender identity” information to the Maryland State Department of Education without parental notice or an opportunity to challenge its accuracy. The Department said the lawsuit enforces parents' rights under FERPA and PPRA.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部（华盛顿 Robert F. Kennedy 司法部大楼）。CC BY 4.0，作者 APK，来源：Wikimedia Commons / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington. CC BY 4.0 by APK, via Wikimedia Commons
