Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
The Department of Education has announced that it is investigating a Massachusetts school district over allegedly enabling a minor girl student's "gender transition" without the knowledge of parents or securing their consent.
The probe was launched by the department's Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) against the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough school district, the department said in a Sept. 17 statement.
The girl was enrolled at Algonquin Regional High School, where school personnel allegedly facilitated the student's "social transition to a boy" while keeping her parents in the dark.
"The parents claim that their daughter participated in counseling sessions after school to support the transition while they were under the impression she was receiving academic assistance for her math class," the department said.
The school personnel also allegedly began referring to the child by a male name and using male pronouns without the parents' knowledge.
According to the Education Department, a school counselor is accused of reporting the parents to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) for countering the school's actions.
In December 2024, DCF removed the child from her family home. The parents are still engaged in custody litigation over their daughter.
The Education Department said the allegations raise serious questions about the school district's compliance with federal laws protecting parental rights, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
FERPA grants parents the right to access their children's education records for inspection and review. Parents also have certain control over the disclosure of personal information from these records.
Under PPRA, parents have rights regarding surveys, analyses, or evaluations of their children in certain areas, including sex behavior or attitudes and mental or psychological problems.
The law also covers the administration of physical examinations of minors. Parents have the right to review instructional materials used in the educational curriculum.
The Education Department said that under FERPA, parents can request changes to their child's education records. If the school rejects the requested changes, parents can seek a hearing on the issue at the institution.
According to the department, it is currently unclear whether the school district and the school complied with FERPA and PPRA. The SPPO probe will determine whether these regulations were violated.
"Parents have a right to know what is happening with their children at school, particularly when it concerns deeply personal matters involving their health and well-being," Frank Miller, director of SPPO, said in the statement.
"These egregious allegations are not an isolated problem. Families deserve answers, and SPPO will thoroughly investigate reports like this and hold any educational institution that violates federal law accountable."
The Epoch Times reached out to the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough and Algonquin Regional High School for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Another school district from Massachusetts was previously identified by the Education Department as violating parental rights. In that case, the district was found to have asked students to take part in a survey containing sexually explicit questions despite parents having expressly requested that their children be exempted.
The survey of students as young as seventh grade included questions regarding sexual encounters, alcohol and drug use, and gender identity, the department said, alleging the school district violated PPRA and parents' rights to shape their children's moral education.
Meanwhile, the department announced last month that it had sent letters to schools across the United States, reminding them of educators' obligations under FERPA and PPRA and warning that noncompliance could result in the loss of federal funding.
The letters were sent while the 2026-2027 academic year was underway and were prompted by reports of educational institutions withholding crucial information from parents and issuing surveys containing sexually explicit material even after parents had opted their children out of such activities.
Miller said that in certain cases, state education departments had pressured school districts to violate FERPA.
"The department is committed to putting parents back in the driver's seat. We will fully enforce FERPA and PPRA and ensure parents have the information and authority they need to make decisions for their children," Miller said.