DOJ investigates LA schools for keeping students' gender transition secret from parents

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District over policies that allow teachers and staff to keep a student’s transgender identity from parents.

The investigation was launched following a lawsuit lodged by parents against the district alleging that the policy contributed to the isolation of their child who committed suicide, according to the New York Times. The 2019 policy advises teachers and staff to allow students to use the pronouns and restrooms of their choosing and tells officials to "take into consideration the safety, health, and well-being of the student in deciding whether to disclose the student’s gender identity to parents."

The school was informed of the investigation in a March 25 letter from the DOJ. Also being probed by the department is a complaint from a female student who alleged that she was sexually assaulted after district officials ignored warnings from the girl about her attacker.

Signing off on the investigation was Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, who told the outlet that the Trump administration "will not tolerate policies that deny parents’ fundamental rights." She said, "Parents have a fundamental right to the care, custody and control of their children, including the right to direct their children’s upbringing and education."

The lawsuit mentioned in the Department of Justice’s letter to the district was filed by Kathleen Mulligan and Andrew Parke, who said that their only child, Dylan, died from suicide on March 1, 2024, two years after graduating from Palisades Charter High School.

The suit claims that their child’s death could be traced back to the 2019-2020 school year, when then-sophomore Dylan told school staff about his plans to come out as transgender and be called "Aria." The school did not contact Dyland’s parents about the matter, the lawsuit alleged, and undertook a plan that allowed their son to use preferred pronouns and connected him with a therapist.

The complaint stated that the school "actively took steps to facilitate the separation of Dylan from his family." The suit added, "The secrecy policy isolated Dylan rather than helping him. It did not expand educational access or reduce stigma; instead, it cut him off from those best equipped to address his distress and mental health risks, depriving him of the stability parental involvement provides."