By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) – The U.S. government said on Tuesday it will bring enforcement action against the Kansas City Public School District in Kansas over its transgender policies that could include judicial proceedings and loss of federal funding.
In a statement, the Education Department alleged that the school district’s policy not to disclose a student’s transgender status even to parents violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
The Education Department and the Justice Department will jointly “take appropriate enforcement measures, including applicable judicial proceedings and potential loss of federal funding,” the statement said.
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It serves more than 21,000 students, according to federal data. The Kansas City urban area straddles Kansas and Missouri.
The Education Department said the school district’s policy held “that school personnel ‘should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents.'”
President Donald Trump has attempted to freeze federal funding for schools over transgender policies and other issues, moves condemned by civil rights activists.
Trump has issued multiple executive orders to limit transgender rights in sports participation. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for states to impose restrictions on transgender student athletes.
Earlier this year, the Education Department alleged that four Kansas school districts, including Kansas City, were in violation of federal law over their transgender policies.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Comments