The U.S. government on Tuesday said it will pursue enforcement measures against the Kansas City Public School District in Kansas over a school policy that, according to federal officials, bars disclosure of a student's transgender status even to parents. The Education Department alleged the policy violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
In a joint announcement, the Education Department and the Justice Department said they will "take appropriate enforcement measures, including applicable judicial proceedings and potential loss of federal funding." The statement framed these actions as steps available under federal law to address the department's finding.
The Education Department described the district policy as holding "that school personnel 'should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents.'" That characterization is central to the federal agencies' determination that the district's approach conflicts with FERPA protections and related legal obligations.
The Kansas City Public School District in Kansas, which serves more than 21,000 students according to federal data, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the federal announcement. The broader Kansas City urban area spans both Kansas and Missouri.
The federal move follows earlier actions this year by the Education Department, which alleged that four school districts in Kansas, including Kansas City, were out of compliance with federal law because of their transgender-related policies. The recent statement makes clear that the Education and Justice Departments will coordinate enforcement where they find legal violations.
The announcement also sits within a larger national policy debate. The statement notes past actions by the White House that sought to restrict federal funding to schools over transgender policies and referenced executive orders aimed at limiting transgender participation in sports. Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently cleared the way for states to impose restrictions on transgender student athletes, a development federal officials referenced in the wider context of ongoing disputes over school policies.
Federal enforcement that includes judicial proceedings and threats to withdraw funding underscores the regulatory and legal pressure school districts may face when district policies intersect with federal civil rights and privacy statutes. For the Kansas City district, the federal allegation centers on whether promises of nondisclosure to personnel are consistent with FERPA's requirements and with broader obligations to families.