Parents in the dark? DOJ sues Anne Arundel schools, alleging secret ‘gender transitions’

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The Justice Department is suing Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), alleging the district helped students use different names and pronouns at school without notifying their parents.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 27 in federal court in Maryland, says AACPS policies violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. The government is asking a judge to block the district from enforcing policies it says deny parents access to their children’s education records and the ability to challenge information in those records.

The lawsuit concerns social changes at school, such as names, pronouns and records, not transition surgeries or other medical treatment. The Justice Department describes those school-based changes as “social transition.”

AACPS staff allegedly asked students about their preferred names and pronouns, documented and acted on that information, but limited parent involvement.

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Court filings specifically discuss one family, named as Jane and John Doe, who say a teacher emailed them in December 2025 using a male name for their daughter. Months later, the parents say, a field-trip roster sent to families again listed their daughter under that name.

The complaint says the parents sought records related to their daughter’s social “gender transition” but AACPS told them some of those materials would require a subpoena.

“The Does confronted AACPS, but each time AACPS lied about helping their daughter pretend to be male at school,” the Justice Department statement said.

In response to this, the DOJ will also challenge the district’s handling of records and information shared with the Maryland State Department of Education.

Read the full complaint:

FERPA gives parents rights to inspect and review their children’s education records. PPRA covers certain surveys and evaluations involving sensitive information, including requirements for notice and, in some cases, parental consent.

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The lawsuit asks the court to declare AACPS’s policies unlawful and order changes to how the district handles records and parent requests.

7News reached out to AACPS for a statement, and this is what their Chief Communications Officer told us:

“Anne Arundel County Public Schools was notified of the lawsuit yesterday afternoon by external counsel and is reviewing it closely. AACPS disagrees with the allegations and stands by its compliance with FERPA and PPRA. Moreover, the school system has been in regular contact with the Department of Justice in a good faith effort to resolve their concerns while adhering to our obligations to all students, parents and staff. It’s regrettable that the Department chose to pursue litigation rather than continuing constructive dialogue. Because the case is now before a federal court, AACPS will address the claims in its court filings and will have no further comment at this time.”