Justice Department sues Anne Arundel schools over gender identity policy

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Anne Arundel County Public Schools concerning its gender identity policy, according to WBFF and The Baltimore Banner.

The DOJ complaint alleges the school district facilitates students' social gender transitions and records these changes in education records without parents’ knowledge or consent. It claims staff exclude parental involvement in these processes.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt enforcement of the current gender identity policy and to allow parents to challenge and correct any errors in their children's education records, as reported by The Baltimore Banner.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools had revised its policy earlier in the school year to clarify that it does not limit parental rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The district stated staff cannot use transgender students' preferred names if parents oppose it.

The school district said it was reviewing the lawsuit closely and disagreed with the allegations, according to The Baltimore Banner. No immediate comment was available from the district Tuesday evening, WBFF reported.

This legal action comes amid heightened scrutiny of the district’s gender identity policy and ahead of upcoming elections, with the Trump administration seeking to rally conservative support.