U.S. Education Department targets Kansas school districts over gender identity policies

The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice are taking enforcement actions against several Kansas school districts regarding policies that withhold student gender identity information from parents.

Topeka Public Schools has entered into a Resolution Agreement with the Department of Education following an investigation that found the district violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The investigation revealed that the district maintained policies to hide students’ gender identities from their parents.

Olathe Public Schools and Shawnee Mission Public Schools have also been identified for similar violations. Unlike Topeka, these districts have not agreed to resolution agreements. The federal government warned that failure to comply could result in judicial proceedings and the potential loss of federal funding. The departments noted that these policies, which include allowing students to change names or pronouns without parental notification, violate federal civil rights and privacy protections.