The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday initiated a lawsuit against Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, alleging the district's handling of transgender-related matters runs afoul of federal law. The department's complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and specifically charges the district with violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
Anne Arundel County Public Schools, which operates 128 schools and serves more than 84,000 students, issued a statement saying it "disagrees with the allegations and stands by its compliance with FERPA and PPRA." The district added that it has engaged with the Justice Department in "good faith" and described the department's decision to pursue litigation as "regrettable."
The lawsuit is the latest federal action under the Trump administration that challenges school policies related to transgender students. The administration has opened probes of educational institutions and has threatened to withhold federal funds from schools whose policies it views as inconsistent with federal interpretations promoted by the administration.
The Justice Department's filing follows an earlier determination by the U.S. Education Department that the district had improperly categorized information about a student's gender identity as "confidential medical information" that could not be disclosed to parents. That prior finding is cited in the complaint as part of the federal government's basis for legal action.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department's civil rights division said on Tuesday: "Schools should not discuss preferred pronouns or 'gender identity' with a student without parental notification and consent." The department's public framing ties into a broader federal stance under President Donald Trump's administration, which has taken a series of actions limiting recognition of transgender identities - including a directive stating the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes, male and female, and issuing multiple executive actions affecting transgender rights.
Officials in the administration have also taken steps or signaled intent to challenge schools and other educational institutions on a range of issues beyond transgender policy, including climate-related programs, pro-Palestinian protests related to the conflict in Gaza, and campus diversity initiatives. Those actions have prompted debate and heightened concerns among educators and legal observers about impacts on academic freedom, free speech, and due process.
The school district said it has been in regular contact with federal authorities as the matter unfolded. The litigation marks another point of federal intervention in local school policy, with implications for how districts balance student privacy, parental rights, and administrative discretion under competing federal interpretations.