The U.S. Justice Department is suing a Maryland school district. It says staff used a girl's new name without telling her parents, then refused to release her records.
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the Civil Rights Division sued the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County, which runs Anne Arundel County Public Schools. It was filed in federal court in Maryland.
This is a lawsuit, not a ruling. No judge has found anything yet, and the district disagrees.
What the DOJ says
The complaint cites two federal laws. FERPA gives parents the right to see their child's education records. PPRA requires parental consent before schools collect sensitive information from minors.
The DOJ says the district's rules direct staff to ask for, record and use a student's chosen name and pronouns without telling parents. It says the district treats that information as confidential and reports it to the Maryland State Department of Education without notice to parents.
The district's own regulation, JQ-RA, says staff work with parents on a plan "unless there is a genuine safety concern," as decided by the principal. It also says gender identity information "may constitute confidential medical information." The DOJ says that lets one official shut parents out, with no way to challenge it.
The family
The complaint calls them Jane and John Doe. Those are pseudonyms. Their daughter is "Mary Doe," a high school student.
The complaint says that on Dec. 10, 2025, the parents got a staff email that called their daughter by a male name. A second email tried to recall it, a third used her legal name, and a fourth said the first had gone "to the wrong addresses."
When the parents pressed, the complaint says, the staff member admitted lying. The staff member said their daughter had asked for the male name.
The parents told the school to use only her legal name. The complaint says that on May 1, 2026, a field trip roster went to every parent on the trip. It listed the male name next to the Does' surname. The staff member first blamed another student with the same last name, then admitted there wasn't one.
The parents asked for records. The complaint says the principal offered an appointment to see some, but said "internal emails, personal notes, or other staff communications would require appropriate legal process, including a subpoena where applicable."
The principal also said her official school records still showed her legal name.
The district's answer
The district says it "disagrees with the allegations and stands by its compliance with FERPA and PPRA." It called it "regrettable that the Department chose to pursue litigation rather than continuing constructive dialogue."
The rules did change. On Aug. 18, the board added language saying nothing in the regulation limits parents' FERPA rights, including the right to inspect their child's complete education record. The DOJ complaint says the board made no other changes, and that the amendments "do not adequately protect parents' rights."
A second case
The DOJ also filed a statement of interest in Doe v. Bedell, a case America First Legal brought for the Does in July. It is narrow. The DOJ opposes dismissal on one point, whether the parents have standing to sue. It takes no position on the district's other arguments.
What the DOJ wants
It asks the court to declare the district's rules unlawful and order it to stop enforcing JQ-RA. It also wants parents to get a hearing on their child's records, and written consent before students are surveyed or evaluated on sensitive subjects.
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 · The Baltimore Banner, Oct. 27, 2026 · CBS Baltimore, Oct. 27, 2026 · The Washington Times, Oct. 27, 2026 · WTOP / Maryland Matters, Aug. 20, 2026 · America First Legal, Oct. 27, 2026
- maryland
- parental rights
- schools
- ferpa
- doj