Bethel School District acknowledged that administrators found both empty testosterone vials and others that still contained “a small amount of unknown liquid” in the display.
The Department of Education has opened a federal investigation into Washington's Bethel School District after testosterone vials were discovered as part of a Pride Month display at a high school.
On Tuesday, the department announced that its Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) had launched a formal investigation into Bethel School District over potential violations of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law that protects parents' rights to review instructional materials and requires schools to provide notice and opt-out opportunities before certain surveys, evaluations, and examinations involving students.
The investigation follows an incident at Graham-Kapowsin High School that drew national attention after UnDivided host Brandi Kruse published photographs of a Pride Month display that included testosterone vials alongside a transgender flag, LGBTQ-themed decorations, and educational materials.
https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/2063065701213192297?s=20
Bethel School District later acknowledged that administrators found both empty testosterone vials and others that still contained "a small amount of unknown liquid" in the display.
The district said the vials had been placed there without authorization from school leadership and were removed after administrators became aware of them. Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank later confirmed his office had opened an investigation, and detectives ultimately seized the vials as evidence.
According to the Department of Education, investigators will determine whether teachers or school administrators encouraged students to pursue medical gender-transition procedures without parental knowledge or consent. The investigation will also examine whether the district complied with federal law requiring parents to have access to instructional materials and whether families were provided legally required opportunities to opt their children out of activities covered by PPRA.
The Department cited reports that students had been exposed to testosterone, a controlled substance commonly prescribed for certain medical conditions as well as for individuals undergoing gender-transition treatment, as part of the school's Pride display before law enforcement removed the materials because of health and safety concerns.
"Shocking reports from across the country indicate that our kids are being subjected to inappropriate material, surveys, and events in schools, and parents' fundamental right to review such materials and opt their children out of these suggestive activities appear to be disregarded in the process," said Frank Miller, Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office.
"Parents must be the decision-makers in matters impacting the most intimate parts of their children's lives. Parents – not school officials – know best when it comes to their children. SPPO will thoroughly investigate these reports, and any similar reports, to protect parental rights and authority in education."
The investigation comes one day after the Department of Education and the Department of Justice announced a broader nationwide initiative targeting school districts accused of withholding information from parents about students' gender identity or social transitions.
The Bethel inquiry is one of several parental-rights enforcement actions the Department announced this week in recognition of National Parents' Day, which the agency says will focus on ensuring schools comply with federal laws protecting parental involvement in education.
The Department also announced a separate investigation into Denver Public Schools. That inquiry centers on allegations that a high school teacher required students of the same sex to kiss each other during a classroom assignment. In addition to a PPRA investigation, the Department's Office for Civil Rights will examine whether the district violated Title IX by failing to adequately respond to the incident.
"Schools have an obligation to prevent and address sexual assault. Yet in Colorado, school personnel are alleged to have compelled the sexual assault of minor students by forcing them to engage in blatantly sexualized conduct in class," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey.
"It is abhorrent, and the Trump Administration will fully investigate this perverse incident to protect students' safety and vigorously uphold students' rights across America."
If the Department ultimately finds Bethel School District or Denver Public Schools violated PPRA or Title IX, the districts could face enforcement actions that include the loss of federal education funding.
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