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Major Civil Rights and LGBTQI+ Groups Urge Education Department to Stop Its Illegal Targeting of Trans Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 11, 2025) – The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and GLSEN are leading more than 40 civil rights and education organizations in urging the Department of Education to stop their illegal weaponization of civil rights laws from discriminating against transgender, non-binary, intersex, and gender-expansive students.
The groups, in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, detail numerous illegal and discriminatory actions taken by the administration. They also call out the Department, under McMahon’s direction, for “failing to fulfill its core civil rights functions to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students.”
Read the full letter and view the full list of signers here.
The group’s demands follow a litany of anti-trans attacks from the Department, including the announcement of the Title IX “special investigation team,” harmful executive orders to dismantle federal civil right protections at the Department of Education, and targeted investigations into schools with athletic policies that are inclusive of transgender students.
“The Department of Education’s twisting of civil rights laws, including Title IX, to create discriminatory learning environments for vulnerable students is unlawful and disgraceful,” said Shiwali Patel, senior director of safe and inclusive schools at NWLC. “These politicized actions are an attempt to scare schools into compliance, but they cannot back down from their ethical and legal obligations to protect students and ensure that all students, including LGBTQI+ students, receive a safe and inclusive education.”
“Linda McMahon is scapegoating vulnerable youth in a truly extreme campaign to erode civil rights in schools and strip federal education funding from states. LGBTQI+ students have rights under the law and have prevailed in court, even when the Education Department was silent or unclear on their rights,” said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, Executive Director of GLSEN. “Transgender students will continue to demand safe and inclusive learning environments, especially as the Education Department cowardly shirks from its role as the chief – but not only – enforcer of civil rights laws in schools. Schools and states should aspire to follow the law and serve the best interests of all students, instead of bowing to threats and tantrums from the Department.”
“We all deserve the right to live, learn, and thrive no matter our color, sexual orientation, or gender identity – no exceptions. But today, the Trump administration is pushing harmful laws that restrict our freedoms and divide us, so they can get and hold onto power at any cost,” said Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association (NEA). “The collective attacks of Linda McMahon, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump are putting our most vulnerable students at risk by denying them the basic rights, safety, and respect that they deserve. Instead of targeting and dehumanizing students for political gain, they should work to ensure that our public schools are places where all students feel protected, supported, and have the freedom to pursue their dreams.”
For press inquiries, please reach out to Jessica Baskerville ([email protected]) or Brian Dittmeier ([email protected]).
