Trump administration scraps trans student protections in schools

The Trump administration has moved to dismantle a series of federal protections for transgender students in US schools, marking a significant shift in education and civil rights policy.

The Department of Education announced it would terminate several civil rights settlement agreements that had required schools and colleges to safeguard transgender pupils from discrimination. These agreements, negotiated under previous administrations, were based on Title IX - the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education. 

Officials said the measures imposed “unlawful burdens” on educational institutions and were founded on what they described as an incorrect interpretation of the law. The administration argues that Title IX applies strictly to biological sex, not gender identity. 

The rescinded agreements had required steps such as allowing students to use facilities aligned with their gender identity, respecting preferred names and pronouns, and introducing staff training on inclusion. 

Six institutions - including school districts in California, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, as well as a community college - are affected by the decision. 

The move is widely seen as part of a broader rollback of trans rights under President Donald Trump’s second term. Since returning to office, the administration has introduced policies restricting transgender participation in sport, limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare for young people, and redefining sex in federal policy. 

Critics, including LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, have condemned the decision as harmful and discriminatory. Some have warned it could leave vulnerable students without clear federal protections against bullying or exclusion.

“This is an escalation,” one advocacy group said, describing the rollback as “cruel” and politically motivated.