The US Justice Department has sued Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, alleging that its approach to student names, pronouns and gender identity unlawfully restricts parents’ access to education records.
The Civil Rights Division brought the complaint under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. It alleges that school policies allow certain information to be withheld from parents and that requests for records may not disclose how a student is identified at school.
The filing begins civil litigation; the allegations have not been proved, and the school system will have an opportunity to respond. The case is therefore about the claimed interaction between federal parental-access provisions and local student-support policies, not a judicial finding that either statute has been violated.
The department is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Any enforceable outcome will depend on the court’s treatment of the statutory claims and any defences raised by the school district.
Official Justice Department release and complaint link
