Donald Trump’s Attorney General claims ‘secret school gender transitions’ are taking place, with no evidence
There’s no evidence that a student’s ‘secret transition’ ever occurred. (Steve Russell/Getty)
US President Donald Trump’s Justice Department says they’re suing a Kansas public school district for allegedly “facilitating the secret ‘transitioning’ of children’s ‘gender identity’”.
However, as People reported, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s lawsuit does not allege that a student’s ‘secret transition’ ever occurred. In fact, the lawsuit doesn’t even allege that schools are facilitating medications or medical procedures to underage students.
Instead, the lawsuit is about the school district allowing trans students to use the name and gender identity they identify with without parental input.
This is an escalation from the Trump administration’s continued targeting of trans youth. The Justice Department initially threatened to sue the district in late July.
Trump’s Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on Fox News to claim that ‘secret school gender transitions’ were a “pandemic that’s happening in school districts around the country”. However, Blanche offered no evidence to back his claim.
“The fact we’re talking about a school district keeping from parents something as fundamental as a child’s name,” Blanche continued, “we had to sue, we had to sue this school district to get them to do the right thing – is shocking.”
‘We have no reason or incentive to withhold information from parents’
Blanche said the lawsuit is “a first-of-its-kind” and they were working with “many” school districts across the country.
“Some school districts, when we reach out to them, are complying with the law,” Blanche said.
“But then some school districts are choosing to fight, and we’re happy to engage in that because President Trump has said from day one that we will fight for parents and their rights.”
According to the school’s guidelines: “If any staff member learns a student is transgender or gender non-conforming, that information should be relayed to the school principal without delay.
“The school principal should discuss available accommodations and resources with the student or the student’s parent or legal guardian, including the availability of a planning meeting. If it becomes known that the student does not want the student’s parent or legal guardian included at this stage, that request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”
“It also is not policy; it is guidance,” the school system’s superintendent Anna Stubblefield told NBC News in July.
“There’s nowhere in the guidance where we say ‘withhold information from parents.’ We have no reason or incentive to withhold information from parents about anything that they’re entitled to for their students.”
The Kansas City Public Schools said it was in “full compliance” with federal law and “is disappointed by the DOJ’s decision to file the lawsuit.” Now, district leaders said they’d respond to the complaint through the appropriate legal channel and not issue additional public comments.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
