by WorldTribune Staff, September 4, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
The Kansas City, Kansas public school district has been secretly transitioning children’s gender at school without their parents knowledge or consent, the Department of Justice said in a lawsuit it filed against the school district on Tuesday.
The lawsuit says the district has instituted policies which keep information from parents, such as when a child chooses to go by another name or gender while at school.
“The District maintains policies that direct staff to help students socially transition to a different gender at school and to withhold this information from parents as confidential,” the Justice Department said in its court filing.
The court action said the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools district is violating two federal laws, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.
Those laws are “designed to safeguard parental rights, including the rights to access and oversee information collected and maintained about their children in public schools,” a Justice Department news release said.
The release said the U.S. Department of Education made “extensive efforts” to reach a resolution with the school district so it would comply with federal law before filing the lawsuit.
Ryan Kriegshauser, U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas, said: “Public education functions effectively only when schools and parents engage in a genuine partnership. When schools withhold information from parents, they undermine trust and disrupt the essential balance between families and public educators.”
Kansas state Senate President Ty Masterson, the Republican candidate for governor, said the lawsuit is what happens when “common sense gets thrown out the window.”
“Schools do not know children better than their parents,” Masterson said in a post to social media. “They should not be keeping secrets from mom and dad, and they certainly shouldn’t be making deeply personal decisions behind their backs.”
The school district said in a statement: “Because this matter is now pending in federal court, the district will respond to the Complaint through the appropriate legal process and will not make any further comment at this time.”
In April, the Justice Department said four Kansas school districts were in violation of federal civil rights protections: Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Topeka, and Kansas City. Reasons included allowing students to change their name or pronouns used at school without clear communication to parents and allowing transgender students to use restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms that align with their gender identity.
