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The U.S. Department of Education said Monday it has terminated civil rights agreements with five school districts and a college that were aimed at protecting transgender students, marking a significant shift in federal policy under President Donald Trump.
The decision removes requirements negotiated under prior administrations that obligated schools to adopt measures such as faculty training on students’ preferred names and pronouns and allowing access to bathrooms aligned with students’ gender identity.
Among the affected systems is the Delaware Valley School District, which received notice of the change in February and has since voted to roll back its antidiscrimination protections for transgender students. The Sacramento City Unified School District said it “remains committed to the support of our LGBTQ+ students and staff” despite the federal action.
Other districts impacted include the Cape Henlopen School District, Fife School District, and La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, along with Taft College.
Under the Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education, the Obama and Biden administrations had interpreted protections to include transgender and gay students. The Trump administration has taken a narrower view, arguing such interpretations imposed unlawful requirements on schools.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said the move reflects efforts to limit transgender students’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports and access to shared facilities.
“Today, the Trump administration is removing the unnecessary and unlawful burdens that prior administrations imposed on schools in its relentless pursuit of a radical transgender agenda,” Richey said in a statement.
The rescission of civil rights agreements is relatively uncommon but not unprecedented. The department previously ended agreements related to book removals in Georgia schools and discipline disparities affecting Native American students in the Rapid City Area School District.
Advocates for civil rights and education equity sharply criticized the move. Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center, said the action weakens protections for vulnerable students.
“This is part of the Trump administration’s assault on education and assault on those who are most vulnerable to experiencing discrimination and harassment, including trans students,” Patel said.
Several of the rescinded agreements stemmed from complaints alleging discrimination. At Taft College, a 2023 settlement required faculty training and policy updates after a student said instructors refused to use preferred pronouns. In Sacramento, a 2024 agreement mandated staff training following a complaint involving classroom treatment of a transgender student.
The Delaware Valley agreement, originally reached during the Obama administration, required the district to allow students to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity. The Trump administration not only rescinded that settlement but also directed the district to roll back broader antidiscrimination policies, prompting a school board vote in late March to comply.
The policy shift is part of a broader effort by the administration to limit federal recognition of transgender rights. Since returning to office, Trump has pursued measures targeting transgender participation in sports, filed lawsuits against states with inclusive policies, restricted passport gender markers, and sought to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors.
The long-term legal and policy implications of the decision remain unclear, particularly as courts continue to weigh how federal civil rights laws apply to gender identity.
