On March 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) released a statement regarding a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) sent on the same day by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to education leaders claiming that states and school districts are violating privacy laws by “hiding critical information, such as a child’s ‘gender transition,’ from parents about their child’s mental and physical wellbeing and safety.” The letter also avers that leaders must make sure that parents are kept informed about “ideological indoctrination” in schools to remain compliant with two federal privacy laws and if schools want to continue receiving federal funds they must abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.

The USDE also said that the DCL follows reports that states and school districts are violating these privacy laws by “hiding critical information, such as a child’s ‘gender transition,’ from parents about their child’s mental and physical wellbeing and safety.”

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