Latest news with #G.StevenAgee
The Hill
07-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Appeals panel clears way for DOGE access to sensitive personal data at OPM, Education Dept
A federal appeals panel on Monday paused an order curtailing the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) access to troves of sensitive personal data from three federal agencies, reopening the floodgates for the cost-cutting advisory board. In a 2-1 decision, the panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit judges agreed to stay a Maryland federal judge's order barring the Department of Education, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Department of Treasury from disclosing the personal identifying information of roughly 2 million Americans to DOGE while the Trump administration appeals. Though Treasury is included in the decision, a different court's injunction covers data there and remains in effect for now. 'The district court misread our precedent in requiring nothing more than abstract access to personal information to establish a concrete injury,' Judge G. Steven Agee wrote in the majority opinion. 'The Government has thus met its burden of a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits of their appeal.' Oral arguments on the merits have been scheduled for May 5. Six Americans and five union organizations — altogether representing about 2 million people — sued the agencies over DOGE's access to personally identifying information stored within systems the advisory board tapped into. The information was provided to the government through means like collecting veterans benefits, applying for student loans and working as federal employees. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman granted their request for a preliminary injunction, which stopped in its tracks DOGE's access to the data. She ruled that the Privacy Act of 1974 was put in place to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of the personal information the government collects, citing Congress's concern then that a single bureaucrat or institution could retrieve 'every detail of our personal lives' in an instant. In his dissenting opinion, Judge Robert King said that at stake is 'some of the most sensitive personal information imaginable,' from Social Security numbers and income and tax records to physical and mental health histories and family details. 'Permitting DOGE unfettered access to the plaintiffs' personally identifiable information lets the proverbial genie out of the bottle,' King wrote. 'Even if they ultimately prevail, the plaintiffs will already have suffered irreparable harm.' His dissent was joined in spirit by five other 4th Circuit judges who said they would have had the full court consider the administration's request for a stay. The court split 8-7 on whether the entire court should weigh the request. The lawsuit is one of more than a dozen pending cases challenging DOGE's structure or access to various federal agencies. Though billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk is said to be leading its sweeping cost-cutting efforts, the White House has maintained that he is not technically part of DOGE, instead serving as a senior adviser to the president.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio group asks U.S. Supreme Court to allow student opt-outs for LGBTQ+ lessons
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A conservative Ohio group is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow parents to opt their elementary school children out of classroom lessons that include books with LGBTQ+ characters. The Protect Ohio Children Coalition joined other similar groups from California, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas in writing an amicus brief in the case against a Maryland school district whose curriculum includes LGBTQ+ books. The brief argued in favor of opt-outs for parents wishing to remove their students from such lessons, citing an infringement of their religious beliefs. 'The parents have never maintained that the Pride storybooks, or other specified controversial texts, cannot be taught to other [district] students,' the brief said. 'The parents merely do not want their own children to be subjected to what they view as attempted indoctrination.' Columbus City Schools reverts to birth names for transgender students The Supreme Court is taking up the case after lower courts sided with the district, which said the books weren't part of 'explicit instruction' on sexual orientation and gender identity, and 'no student or adult is asked to change how they feel about these issues.' Rather, the books were included as options within the district's reading list to represent 'a range of cultural, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.' 'Like all other books in the language-arts curriculum, these storybooks impart critical reading skills through engaging, age-appropriate stories,' the district said in a filing to the Supreme Court. LGBTQ+ books on the reading list included titles like 'Uncle Bobby's Wedding,' about a young girl struggling with her uncle's same-sex marriage, and 'Pride Puppy,' about attendees at a Pride march who band together to find a family's lost dog. The district said those on the list are 'made available for individual reading, classroom read-aloud and other educational activities designed to foster and enhance literacy skills.' Judge G. Steven Agee of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the lower courts that agreed with the district, said the parents were not able to 'connect the requisite dots' to show that their religious rights were violated given there isn't proof that a teacher has used the books in a manner that 'coerces children into changing their religious views.' While the books 'could be used in ways that would confuse or mislead children and, in particular, that discussions relating to their contents could be used to indoctrinate their children into espousing views that are contrary to their religious faith … none of that is verified by the limited record that is before us,' wrote Agee. Olentangy schools defends LGBTQ+ anti-bullying policies in federal court The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on April 22. Protect Ohio Children Coalition's advocacy comes as the inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes in classrooms is being debated across Ohio, like in the case of a New Richmond teacher who is taking her district to court after she was suspended for having books in her class library with LGBTQ+ characters. A Jackson Township school district said in January it will pay $450,000 to a middle school teacher who resigned for refusing to address two transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns after a court said forcing the teacher to use students' preferred names amounted to 'compelled speech.' The coalition also supported Ohio's incoming 'Parents' Bill of Rights' law, which includes a provision requiring schools to provide parents the opportunity to review instructional material that includes 'sexuality content.' A national crisis hotline said it received a significant increase in calls from LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio within hours after the measure was signed into law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
