{"id":2417062,"date":"2025-03-28T10:03:02","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ed-dept-investigates-me-hiding-gender-dysphoria-from-parents\/"},"modified":"2025-03-28T10:04:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T14:04:34","slug":"ed-dept-investigates-me-hiding-gender-dysphoria-from-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ed-dept-investigates-me-hiding-gender-dysphoria-from-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Dept. Investigates ME Hiding Gender Dysphoria From Parents"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fed-dept-investigates-me-hiding-gender-dysphoria-from-parents%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2417062&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S.Department of Education is investigating the state of Maine for potential violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), particularly concerning policies that allegedly conceal a child&#8217;s transgender identification from their parents. A report highlighted that 57 school districts in Maine may implement such policies, allowing schools to create &#8220;gender plans&#8221; for students while classifying these plans as non-educational records, thereby limiting parental access. Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized that parents have a right to their child&#8217;s educational records,labeling contradictory policies as both illegal and immoral. <\/p>\n<p>Concerns have been raised about these practices leading to early medical interventions for students without parental knowledge, with testimonies from individuals who detransitioned underscoring the significant impact of school policies on minors. As an example, Portland Public Schools direct staff to uphold a student&#8217;s secrecy regarding their transgender status based on the student&#8217;s wishes. <\/p>\n<p>The investigation echoes ongoing scrutiny of Maine&#8217;s education system concerning other transgender-related issues and follows a similar inquiry into California&#8217;s practices. The federal probe aims to reinforce compliance with FERPA, reminding educational entities that state laws cannot supersede federal regulations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Education is investigating Maine for alleged violations of the Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) for actively hiding a child&rsquo;s identification as &ldquo;transgender&rdquo; from parents.<\/p>\n<p>Citing a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/26\/exclusive-57-maine-school-districts-hide-kids-gender-dysphoria-from-parents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> from The Federalist showing 57 school districts with such policies, the U.S. Education Department&rsquo;s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) is leading the investigation into the Maine Department of Education because &ldquo;the districts&rsquo; policies allegedly allow for schools to create &lsquo;gender plans&rsquo; supporting a student&rsquo;s &lsquo;transgender identity&rsquo; and then claim those plans are not education records under FERPA and therefore not available to parents,&rdquo; a press release from the department states.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The press release also made clear that a finding in violation of FERPA &ldquo;can result in termination of an educational entity&rsquo;s federal funding.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Parents and guardians have the right to access their child&rsquo;s education records to guide and safeguard their child&rsquo;s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Any policy to the contrary is both illegal and immoral,&rdquo;&nbsp;Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.&nbsp;&ldquo;A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with several young people who shared their detransitioning stories. It is deeply concerning to hear that teachers and school counselors in Maine are reportedly encouraging and helping students to undergo so-called &lsquo;gender transitions&rsquo; while keeping parents in the dark. The Trump Administration will enforce all federal laws to safeguard students and families.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Federalist was also present at McMahon&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/13\/exclusive-linda-mcmahon-meets-with-detransitioners-to-discuss-schools-pushing-gender-transition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">meeting with detransitioners<\/a>, many of whom said that school policies like the ones in Maine have an enormous amount of influence on pushing children to pursue medical interventions like chemical castration and genital mutilation, because they are allowed to live a double life under a different name, while people refer to them by different pronouns, and using different facilities than what align with their actual gender.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Social transition &mdash; changing names, pronouns, school records &mdash; it seems harmless, but it often initiates a trajectory that is challenging to stop once begun,&rdquo; Claire Abernathy, 20, who was put on testosterone to transition to a boy after her 14th birthday, said at the meeting. &ldquo;My school affirmed this identity without informing my parents, they started calling me a new name and pronouns, and letting me use the boys&rsquo; bathroom and locker rooms, and this immediate affirmation led me swiftly into medicalization.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In Maine&rsquo;s Portland Public Schools, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exposed-nationwide-program-teaching-grade-schoolers-to-question-gender-identity-prying-apart-families\/\" title=\"EXPOSED! Nationwide program teaching grade...schoolers to question gender identity, prying apart families\">directs school staff<\/a> to hide the claimed &ldquo;gender identity&rdquo; of a student from their parents, so long as the parents do not wish to allow their children to start the &ldquo;transition&rdquo; process. The decision to tell the parents is left entirely up to the child.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;School staff shall comply with the student&rsquo;s wishes regarding disclosure of their transgender status to others, including but not limited to parents or guardians, students, volunteers or other school staff, unless the student has explicitly authorized the disclosure or unless legally required to do so,&rdquo; the policy states, in part.<\/p>\n<p>The students who claim to be transgender are also allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex, meaning girls can be forced to undress in front of boys, so long as the boy claims he is a girl.<\/p>\n<p>Many of Maine&rsquo;s school districts have virtually identical policies.<\/p>\n<p>SPPO is the office that enforces FERPA, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/volleyball-girls-at-vermont-high-school-banned-from-girls-locker-room-for-refusing-to-change-in-front-of-boy\/\" title=\"Volleyball Girls at Vermont High School Banned From Girls&#039; Locker Room for Refusing to Change in Front of Boy\">federal privacy law<\/a> that protects a parent&rsquo;s right to access their child&rsquo;s education records. The Education Department said that Maine&rsquo;s policies violate FERPA because they actively hide certain information, and that &ldquo;state laws do not override federal laws, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">educational entities receiving federal funding<\/a> are subject to FERPA and its implementing regulations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Under the previous Administration, we were fighting to protect our children from irreversible &lsquo;sex changes&rsquo; &mdash; a path too often facilitated by school personnel who we entrusted with our children,&rdquo; Parents Defending Education founder and president Nicole Neily said. &ldquo;We are proud to stand with President Trump and Secretary McMahon to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/indiana-ag-releases-parents-bill-of-rights-to-combat-ideologies-imposed-in-schools\/\" title=\"Indiana AG Releases \u2018... Bill Of Rights\u2019 To Combat \u2018Ideologies\u2019 Imposed In ...\">hold school districts accountable<\/a> and ensure no child is socially transitioned behind parent&rsquo;s backs by teachers or administrators.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Maine has been the subject of other investigations from the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/21\/education-department-launches-investigation-into-maine-after-trump-slams-governor-over-boys-in-girls-sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Education Department<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/06\/trump-admin-finds-maine-in-violation-of-civil-rights-law-for-allowing-men-in-womens-sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/21\/university-of-maine-flinches-agrees-to-protect-womens-sports-following-trump-admin-funding-threat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Department of Agriculture<\/a>, all regarding transgender issues, mostly having to do with Title IX violations in sports.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation into Maine follows a similar Thursday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ed.gov\/about\/news\/press-release\/us-department-of-education-launches-investigation-california-department-of-education-alleged-ferpa-violations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigation into California<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>California is not the only other state that has school policies hiding such critical information from parents. They exist across the country, like in Rhode Island, where The Federalist <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/03\/18\/exclusive-at-least-32-rhode-island-school-districts-lie-to-parents-about-childrens-gender-dysphoria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> recently that nearly all parents of public school students in the state are subjected to the same sorts of parental exclusion laws.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Breccan F. Thies is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pa-court-rules-improperly-dated-mail-ballots-must-be-counted\/\" title=\"PA Court Rules Improperly Dated Mail Ballots Must Be Counted\">previously covered education<\/a> and culture issues for the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. He holds a degree from the University of Virginia and is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. You can follow him on X: @BreccanFThies.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. Department of Education is probing Maine for FERPA violations by concealing children&#8217;s transgender status from parents<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":2417063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3170-1-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[52397,46328,6035,9148,34304],"class_list":["post-2417062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-ed-dept","tag-gender-dysphoria","tag-investigates","tag-maine","tag-parental-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_3170-1-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2417062"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2417066,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2417062\/revisions\/2417066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2417063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2417062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2417062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2417062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}