The Radical Reading Room

The U.S. Justice Department sued Anne Arundel County Public Schools in federal court in Maryland on Tuesday, alleging that the district’s policies concerning transgender students violate federal law. The complaint names the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, or PPRA. The filing places the district’s handling of gender-identity information and communication with parents at the center of the dispute.

According to the complaint as summarized in the reports, the district classified information about a student’s gender identity as confidential medical information that could not be shared with parents. The department alleges that this approach violated federal protections for parents’ access to student information. CBS News also reports that federal officials accuse the district of withholding information and denying parents access to certain student records.

Those descriptions are allegations by the Justice Department, not findings established by the reporting. The lawsuit challenges the district’s handling of gender-identity information under FERPA and PPRA. Both reports identify those laws and connect the case to the question of whether schools may keep such information from parents. The filing is the newly reported action; neither supplied account establishes that a court has resolved the claims.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said schools should not discuss preferred pronouns or gender identity with students without parental notification and consent. Her statement sets out the department’s position, while the complaint’s allegations frame the legal challenge. The reports describe a federal lawsuit over school policy and parental access, but do not establish that the government’s claims have been upheld.