The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today its lawsuit to stop Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) from secretly “gender transitioning” children without their parents’ knowledge or consent and blocking parents’ access to information about their children, which they are entitled to receive under federal law. The Department’s lawsuit enforces 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 Justice Department’s 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 Department’s complaint alleges that AACPS’s gender policies deny parents their rights under FERPA and PPRA. 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 and unfounded assertion that informing parents would pose a “safety concern” to students. AACPS reports “gender identity” information to the Maryland State Department of Education without parental notice or an opportunity to challenge its accuracy.
The complaint also includes allegations about one anonymous family’s struggle with AACPS’s policies. During the 2025-2026 school year, AACPS questioned students, one-on-one, about their preferred names and pronouns. Thereafter, Jane and John Doe twice received emails from teachers referring to their daughter by a male name and pronouns. The Does confronted AACPS, but each time AACPS lied about helping their daughter pretend to be male at school. Although AACPS eventually admitting to lying, AACPS declined to give the Does details about their daughter’s “gender transition” and refused to turn over the child’s relevant education records.
Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of steps taken by the Civil Rights Division to end public school policies that trample on parental rights guaranteed under FERPA and PPRA. FERPA authorizes parents to inspect and review their children’s education records, as well as correct or delete inaccurate information within those records. Under PPRA, parents have the right to give or withhold consent before schools collect sensitive personal information from minor students.
Individuals may file FERPA and PPRA complaints with the U.S Department of Education at: studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint .
Note: Read the Department’s Complaint here