The U.S. Department of Justice sued the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that policies of Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) violate two federal laws on parents' rights. It is an allegation. No court has ruled, and the district disputes it.
The two laws
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) lets parents inspect and review their children's education records and ask to correct or delete inaccurate information. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires parental consent before schools make minor students take surveys or evaluations that reveal certain sensitive information.
What the complaint alleges
According to the Justice Department, AACPS directs staff to ask for, record and act on a student's self-identified name, pronouns and "gender identity" without notifying parents. It alleges the district designates that information "confidential," withholds it from parents, and reports it to the Maryland State Department of Education without notice to parents or a chance to challenge its accuracy.
The district's regulation, JQ-RA, says staff are to work with a student and parents on a support plan "unless there is a genuine safety concern for the student's physical, emotional, or mental health safety as determined by the principal or the principal's designee." It also says that information about a student's gender identity "may constitute confidential medical information." The complaint argues these provisions let a principal exclude parents with no process for parents to respond.
One family's account
The complaint describes one family, identified by the pseudonyms John and Jane Doe. It says that in December 2025 they received an email from a staff member that referred to their daughter by a male name. It says the staff member then tried to recall the email and later admitted the explanation given was untrue. It alleges a May 1, 2026 field trip roster sent to all participating parents again listed the male name beside the family's surname.
The complaint says the family asked for records and that the school principal said some could be reviewed by appointment, but that "internal emails, personal notes, or other staff communications would require appropriate legal process, including a subpoena where applicable." The complaint also reports that the principal said the daughter's official records still showed her legal name.
The district's response
AACPS said it "disagrees with the allegations and stands by its compliance with FERPA and PPRA," and that it has been in contact with the Justice Department "in a good faith effort to resolve their concerns," according to CBS Baltimore.
On Aug. 18, 2026, the board amended JQ-RA to state that nothing in it limits parents' FERPA rights, "including the right to inspect and review their student's complete education record." The complaint says the board made no other changes and that the amendments "do not adequately protect parents' rights."
A related case
The same day, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in *Doe v. Bedell*, No. 1:26-cv-02690, a suit by the same family against school officials, brought in July with America First Legal. The statement is limited. It argues the parents have standing to sue and takes no position on the defendants' other arguments for dismissal.
What the Justice Department is asking for
It asks the court to declare the policies unlawful and to order the board to stop enforcing JQ-RA, give parents a hearing and a way to correct their children's records, and get written consent before requiring students to take covered surveys or evaluations.
Background
On March 2, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court said in an emergency-docket order in *Mirabelli v. Bonta* that California parents were likely to succeed on claims against school policies that conceal a child's gender transition at school from parents. The order was issued on an interim basis while the case continues.
Parents can file FERPA and PPRA complaints with the U.S. Department of Education at studentprivacy.ed.gov/file-a-complaint.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice press release, Oct. 27, 2026 · Complaint, United States v. Board of Education of Anne Arundel County, No. 1:26-cv-4499 (D. Md.) · DOJ statement of interest, Doe v. Bedell, No. 1:26-cv-02690 (D. Md.) · AACPS Regulation JQ-RA, revised Aug. 18, 2026 · CBS Baltimore, Oct. 27, 2026 · The Baltimore Banner, Oct. 27, 2026 · WTOP / Maryland Matters, Aug. 20, 2026 · Supreme Court of the United States, Mirabelli v. Bonta, Mar. 2, 2026