The Department of Education is threatening two school districts with loss of federal funding after allegations they concealed students’ gender transitions from their own parents — a move Education Secretary Linda McMahon called “unconscionable.”
The Trump administration announced the enforcement actions on National Parents’ Day, signaling a major escalation in its fight against radical left-wing gender ideology in classrooms.
“As a mother and a grandmother, it is unconscionable that any school district would hide the most sensitive information about children in their care from their own parents.”
McMahon told Fox News the investigations target Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland and Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan. Both districts face allegations they violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law giving parents the right to see their child’s school records and control who can access that information.
The Department of Justice is working alongside the Education Department on the probes.
One Maryland family says they were blindsided after discovering school staff presented their daughter as male during the school day — without their knowledge or consent. The parents only learned what was happening after receiving an email that referred to their daughter using male pronouns.
According to the Education Department, school administrators refused to provide the parents with additional information. The assistant principal declined to turn over records related to the child’s gender transition.
The Ann Arbor case centers on a district policy that allows teachers to help students hide their “transgender status” from parents. The school district directs officials to maintain records related to a “gender identity” in a separate filing system — keeping parents in the dark.
Ann Arbor Public Schools has until Aug. 11, 2026 to justify its policy to the Education Department or risk losing federal funding.
McMahon made clear the Trump administration will use “every tool available” to hold districts accountable for what she called “egregious behavior.”
“Under the Trump Administration, ED and DOJ are working together to vigorously uphold parents’ federal protections, and we will work to ensure that no parent is ever kept in the dark about important matters relating to their children.”
U.S. Department of Justice@TheJusticeDept · Mon, Jul 27, 10:43 AM𝕏Today, ED and @TheJusticeDept are taking action against Maryland and Michigan school districts for withholding sensitive information from parents regarding their child’s health. ed.gov/about/news/press-rele… Link Trump Administration Cracks Down on School Districts Secretly “Transitioning” Students and Hiding… Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) took significant action against Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland and Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan for hiding sensitive information… ed.gov
The investigations reinforce President Trump’s campaign promise to restore parental rights in the classroom and push back against schools imposing radical gender ideology on children.
Both school districts did not respond to requests for comment.
