WASHINGTON — Federal education officials announced Monday they have canceled protective agreements with six educational institutions across the country, including Delaware’s Cape Henlopen School District, that were designed to safeguard transgender student rights.
The Department of Education’s action means federal oversight of these protective measures will cease. The canceled agreements had required educational institutions to implement policies ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws regarding transgender students. Besides Cape Henlopen, the affected institutions include school districts in Washington state, Pennsylvania, and California, along with a California community college.
During the Obama and Biden years, federal education officials viewed Title IX anti-discrimination laws as extending protections to transgender and LGBTQ+ students in educational settings.
The current administration has taken enforcement action against educational institutions that have implemented policies supporting gender identity accommodations. Federal officials have initiated legal challenges in California and Minnesota targeting state rules that allow transgender student participation in school athletics, while also launching civil rights probes into various schools and colleges regarding their transgender-related policies.
