The Department says Maine school policies may violate federal privacy law by concealing student gender identity records from parents.
The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation of the Maine Department of Education over allegations that school districts in the state are concealing student “gender plans” from parents, potentially violating federal law.
The investigation, announced on March 28, is being conducted by the department’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) and centers on whether Maine public schools are misapplying the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
According to the department, the state allows districts to create plans to support a student’s transgender identity while maintaining that those documents are not part of the student’s education records—and, therefore, not accessible to parents.
“Parents and guardians have the right to access their child’s education records to…
