The federal government announced Tuesday that it intends to take enforcement action against the Kansas City Public School District in Kansas, citing concerns over the district’s policies related to transgender students.
According to a statement from the Education Department, the school district’s policy of not informing parents about a student’s transgender status is a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Both the Education Department and the Justice Department said they would jointly pursue action, stating they will “take appropriate enforcement measures, including applicable judicial proceedings and potential loss of federal funding.”
The school district, which educates more than 21,000 students according to federal data, had not responded to requests for comment as of Tuesday. The Kansas City urban area spans both Kansas and Missouri.
At the center of the dispute is a district policy stating that school staff “should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents.”
President Donald Trump has made efforts to withhold federal funding from schools over transgender-related policies and other matters, drawing criticism from civil rights advocates.
Trump has also signed multiple executive orders aimed at restricting transgender participation in sports. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the path for states to enforce limits on transgender student athletes in competitive sports.
This is not the first time Kansas schools have faced federal scrutiny. Earlier this year, the Education Department identified four Kansas school districts — including Kansas City — as potentially violating federal law because of their transgender-related policies.
