Latest news with #ProtectionofPupilRightsAmendment
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia schools assure compliance with parental rights laws
(Photo by Getty Images) Under the looming threat of federal consequences for inaction, all 136 local education agencies in the commonwealth — including public schools, the Virginia Juvenile Justice Center and Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind — have officially assured the Virginia Department of Education that they're complying with parental rights laws. On March 28, the U.S. Department of Education directed states to provide evidence that schools are complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) by April 30. These laws ensure parents have the right to inspect and review education records and student safety standards, and to be notified annually about their rights, military recruiter access to their child, and the school's overall compliance record. The federal agency sought the information after explaining that it has been 'overburdened' with reports of FERPA complaints that claim schools nationwide have been hiding information from parents, including gender transition records. 'As any mother would be, I have been appalled to learn how schools are routinely hiding information about the mental and physical health of their students from parents,' said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a March 28 letter. 'The practice of encouraging children down a path with irreversible repercussions — and hiding it from parents — must end.' The agency warned schools that if they failed to comply, they would face an investigation and loss of federal funding. The Virginia Department of Education, which provided the school compliance list to USDOE, stated all of the education agencies in the commonwealth 'exceed' federal FERPA expectations by following state law, which sets 'higher standards' for the disclosure of certain student data, such as contact information including addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. Under FERPA, the contact information may be designated as 'directory information' and may be disclosed without the consent of a parent or eligible student, unless such person has opted out of such designation. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his Republican colleagues have made parental rights a cornerstone of his administration and legislative efforts, repeatedly asserting that 'a parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child.' Youngkin's administration has enacted several measures to reinforce these rights, including policies requiring parents to be notified about drug overdoses and making mask-wearing in schools optional. The governor also adopted legislation mandating that parents be informed about sexually explicit instructional materials in school libraries. Last month, the governor tried to amend a bill by adding language from Sage's Law, a bill which would have required public school principals to notify at least one parent if a student questions their gender identity or requests the school's participation in social affirmation or transition to a different sex or gender. However, Youngkin's amendment was rejected. During the regular legislative session earlier this year, House lawmakers failed to take up the proposed Sage's Law bill, carried by Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, for a second straight year. Freitas carried the bill that was first introduced by then-Republican Del. Dave LaRock during the 2023 General Assembly Session. The bill died in the Democratic controlled Senate that year, after passing through the House controlled by Republicans. Last session, the General Assembly failed to consider the same bill, which Youngkin said 'allows parents to be informed of the decisions relating to the mental health of their child.' The failure of the Sage's Law bill was one of the reasons why the governor last week vetoed a bill, carried by Democrats, designed to encourage school boards to remind parents about the safe storage of firearms and prescription drugs. He also added that the bill as passed by the legislature mainly concentrates on those two parental responsibilities, 'omitting other legal obligations, like providing an environment free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What the State Superintendent says on federal investigation into WA's non-discrimination school laws
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) issued a letter requesting states to certify compliance with the Department's interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, or risk losing federal funding. Following that letter, the DOE and the Department of Justice are launching a 'first-of-its kind' investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) over the state's non-discrimination laws for schools. The suit alleges that OSPI is out of compliance with Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). 'Multiple Washington State school districts have reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities, thereby raising substantial Title IX concerns,' a DOE press release said. U.S. Secretary of Education, former WWE promoter Linda McMahon, said that the state 'appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms.' In response, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said that the investigation is the 'latest [Trump] Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive.' 'Washington public schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender-expansive students, so that all students can thrive. Since 2006, Washington state law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and the state has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics in alignment with their gender identity since 2007. These protections fit within the scope of what is allowed by federal law and have been successfully established and implemented for nearly two decades. Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school. When schools affirmatively support gender diversity, all students are empowered to live more authentically and to take advantage of different opportunities that might not have otherwise been available," Reykdal said, in part, in a statement. McMahon said that the schools must 'abide by the law if they expect federal funding to continue.' Reykdal continued his statement with: A student's school should be a safe place where they can learn, thrive, and be their authentic self, and family involvement and acceptance are extremely beneficial to all students. Unfortunately, it is not safe for all individuals to open up to their family regarding gender identity, and family rejection related to an individual's gender identity results in increased odds of a suicide attempt and/or misusing drugs or alcohol. It is not the role of the school system to facilitate private conversations that should be happening between students and their parents or guardians, and the federal government should not force schools to play the role of parents when it comes to gender identity.
Epoch Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Trump Administration Investigating Washington State Over Alleged Title IX Violations
Washington state's education department is under investigation for allegedly violating privacy regulations, parents' rights, and Title IX laws established to protect women's equality in scholastic sports, federal officials A Title IX special investigations team comprising Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education employees received reports that the Evergreen State's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction required school districts to allow males to participate in female sports and 'occupy female-only intimate facilities,' an April 30 statement on the U.S. Education Department's website said. The team also accuses the state office of forcing policies that allow schools to hide information about a child's gender identity from his or her parents. Collectively, the state office could be in violation of Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and could lose federal funding, the special investigations team announced. 'If true, these are clear violations of parental rights and female equality in athletics, which are protected by federal laws that will be enforced by the Trump Administration,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in the statement. This investigation was prompted by pushback from a district that opposed the state's policies, which contradict federal law, the statement said. Related Stories 4/4/2025 3/18/2025 La Center School District informed federal officials earlier this spring that the state office threatened to withhold state funding after the district refused to adopt mandated policies. These included school employee training on eliminating bias in instructional materials related to gender identity and a requirement 'to not proactively share information about any students' gender identity without the student's consent,' which federal officials say violates their parents' rights to inspect their child's school records, the statement said. The Kennewick School Board also filed a federal civil rights complaint against the state, which is requiring the district to allow one of its transgender-identifying male athletes to compete on a girls' team. Meanwhile, a male track star in a rival district who also identifies as transgender is expected to win a second state title later this month in the girls' 400-meter event, said Gabe Galbraith, the school board's president. 'Ninety-eight percent of families and school staff in this community support the board's position on this, but kids are afraid to speak out,' Galbraith told The Epoch Times earlier this month. 'We hope people will speak out. There are probably 15 school districts that would support us in a class action lawsuit. I think, ultimately, this will land with the DOJ.' Chris Reykdal, Washington state superintendent of public instruction, said he will continue to follow his state's laws. 'Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school,' Reykdal said in an In March, the Trump administration announced similar investigations into California's and Maine's state education departments, which also have state laws that allow teachers and school staff to withhold information from parents about their children's gender identity. The Department of Justice has also initiated a lawsuit against Maine for allowing male athletes to compete on women's teams.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration opens federal probe into Washington's transgender student policy
Apr. 30—Trump administration officials on Wednesday launched an investigation into the authority overseeing Washington's public schools, questioning state policy surrounding transgender students' sports participation, pronoun use and parental notification. The Title IX Special Investigations Team, an initiative between the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice, announced the investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction into whether it has violated Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. The investigation is at least the third opened by the Trump administration into state school systems. Washington joins California and Maine as states under investigation for their transgender student policy. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement Wednesday that the investigation into the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was the "first of its kind." "Washington State appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms," McMahon said. "If true, these are clear violations of parental rights and female equality in athletics, which are protected by federal laws that will be enforced by the Trump Administration." According to the announcement, the alleged violations could result in the loss of federal education funding. On average, federal dollars make up just under 7% of Washington school districts' revenue. Much of that is tied up in congressionally mandated formula allocations for poor students or students with disabilities, for example. In a statement Wednesday, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said the investigation is "the latest target in the Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive." "Washington public schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender-expansive students so that all students can thrive," Reykdal said in a statement. Reykdal said his office would "enforce our current laws as we are required to do until Congress changes the law and/or federal courts invalidate Washington state's laws." "Unless, and until that happens, we will be following Washington state's laws, not a president's political leanings expressed through unlawful orders," Reykdal said. The announcement of the investigation answers a call by some local school districts. In March, the Mead School Board sent a letter to federal officials requesting an investigation to the state schools chief and directives that contradicted several of the president's executive orders. Later that month, the U.S. Department of Education wrote to education officials throughout the country, warning that schools must allow parents to review all education records, including any document related to a student's gender identity. Reykdal said Wednesday it was not "the role of the school system to facilitate private conversations that should be happening between students and their parents or guardians, and the federal government should not force schools to play the role of parents when it comes to gender identity." The Mead School Board politically aligns with the Trump administration and its approach to female athletics, wishing to exclude transgender girls from girls school sports, citing fairness and privacy for cisgender girls. According to Reykdal, Washington law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity since 2006, and the state has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics that align with their gender identity since 2007. "These protections fit within the scope of what is allowed by federal law and have been successfully established and implemented for nearly two decades," Reykdal said Wednesday. Of the 250,000 student-athletes, five to 10 are transgender, according to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the independent governing body of nearly 800 public and private middle and high schools in Washington Earlier this month, the WIAA representative assembly rejected two amendments to its transgender athlete policy, which would have restricted girls teams to those assigned female at birth and created a third ungendered competition category in addition to boys and girls. Following a legal review by the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the vote was changed to an advisory vote after it was found the amendments might violate state and federal civil rights law. "Federal law itself — which has not changed, despite the President and Department of Education's letters, memos, or executive orders — similarly prohibits discriminating against student-athletes based on their gender identity," Emily Nelson, assistant attorney general in the Wing Luke Civil Rights Division, wrote in a letter explaining the potential violation. The Mead School Board and OSPI have also clashed on the district's "transgender students" policy, with Reykdal's office recently telling the district their current policy is out of compliance with state civil rights standards. As they reviewed the policy, school board members were reluctant to make changes agreeable to the state and instead drafted language indicating that they'd obey federal guidance over state directives. In a provided statement, Mead School Board President Michael Cannon wrote of his gratitude to federal officials. "This investigation, prompted by concerns in the La Center School District, affirms our stance against policies that restrict parental notification of gender identity changes and allow sports participation based on gender identity rather than biological sex," Cannon wrote. Central Valley School Board is in the midst of filing a similar complaint, on Monday drafting a letter imploring investigation of the state for allowing trans girls to play girls sports. The drafted complaint alleges Title IX violations. Central Valley is set to review their complaint at a special virtual meeting on Monday. The investigation is the latest battle between Washington and the federal government over school policies. Washington joined 18 other states last week that challenged a directive by the Trump administration that warned state education agencies could lose funding if they have diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Following the letter, Reykdal told the 295 school districts in Washington not to take action, saying the office is working to "understand the legality of the directive and our next steps," echoing his past guidance that school districts shouldn't comply with federal directives that contradict state law. According to the Washington State Attorney General's Office, the federal government provides the state with $1.4 billion a year through congressionally appropriated funds. Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal investigation launched into Washington's education office
This story was originally posted on The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have launched a 'first-of-its-kind' investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), officials announced Wednesday. The department said multiple Washington state school districts reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and use female-only facilities, raising Title IX concerns. ED said its Title IX Special Investigations Team (Title IX SIT), in collaboration with the DOJ, is conducting a directed investigation into OSPI. 'This investigation comes amid reports that OSPI has imposed requirements on school districts that potentially violate federal law, specifically, Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA),' ED said in a news release. 'Today's investigation into Washington OSPI is a first-of-its-kind, bringing together ED and DOJ, and multiple offices within ED, to adjudicate several potential violations of federal law,' U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said. 'Washington State appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms,' McMahon said. 'If true, these are clear violations of parental rights and female equality in athletics, which are protected by federal laws that will be enforced by the Trump Administration.' Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal released a statement Wednesday afternoon. 'This investigation, which alleges that OSPI is out of compliance with Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), is the latest target in the Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive,' Reykdal said. 'In this alarming attempt to infringe on the rights of our transgender and gender-expansive students, the Department is trying to co-opt laws enacted to protect students from discrimination and distort them into mandated discrimination. The Department also attempts to twist FERPA and PPRA into tools designed to undermine the health, safety, and wellbeing of students. The interpretations taken by the Department are not supported by these laws.' The La Center School District, which has approximately 1,800 students throughout Clark County, has been embroiled in a conflict over its preferred pronoun policy between the state of Washington and the Trump administration. OSPI previously investigated the district, finding it discriminated against students and families with its approach to gender inclusivity. Washington's policy, adopted in 2020, for gender inclusion is to have students tell staff their preferred pronouns. However, within the La Center School District, staff were prohibited from asking students what their preferred gender pronouns are. Under the district policy, if a student shares their preferred pronouns to faculty, staff should report it to the student's parents or guardians 'so that the parents/guardians may provide appropriate support for their children.' The staff was also instructed to use the preferred pronouns with the student. OSPI gave the district 45 days to draw up new gender identity-related guidelines that follow state law. The district appealed the findings last month. The Department of Education alleged that OSPI is violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, and Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding, according to The Washington State Standard. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told schools they must abide by the law 'if they expect federal funding to continue.' OSPI's counter is that the Department of Education is potentially overstepping its authority. A timeline of the conflict can be found on the district website. This is not the first investigation into the state. The Department of Education is also looking into the Tumwater School District for allowing transgender girls participate athletic competitions against biological girls. The Kennewick School Board has asked for a similar investigation.
