Trump administration warns U.S. schools over gender policies

The Trump administration has issued a warning to U.S. public schools, stating that institutions could face civil rights investigations and the loss of federal funding if they implement gender-related policies without parental notification.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that the Department of Education is working with the Department of Justice to ensure school districts do not exercise more authority over children than their parents. McMahon accused the previous administration of allowing schools to conceal gender-transition decisions from families, specifically citing California as a state with widespread violations.

President Trump characterized advising children that they are ‘trapped in the wrong body’ as ‘child abuse.’ The administration is targeting policies that allow staff to withhold information regarding a student's preferred names or pronouns from their families. Federal authorities have already identified Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland and Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan as early targets of this enforcement effort.