DOJ says KCK schools hid student gender plans from parents
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The Justice Department is taking Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools to federal court, accusing the district of allowing students to socially transition at school while their parents were kept in the dark.
The federal lawsuit targets an internal district guideline that allows students to request that their parents be excluded from meetings concerning gender identity.
Those meetings can determine a student’s preferred name, pronouns, school records, restroom and locker room access, field trips and participation in sports. The resulting plan is put in writing and maintained by the district.
Federal officials argue parents cannot exercise their legal right to inspect a record if the school never tells them it exists.
The Justice Department alleges the policy violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which gives parents access to their children’s education records. It also claims the district violated a separate federal law by evaluating sensitive information about minors without first obtaining written parental consent.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon accused the district of “playing fast and loose with federal law” and said schools do not know children better than their parents.
The district strongly denies breaking the law.
School officials said they will fight the allegations through the federal court system and will not comment further while the case is pending.
