KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) launched an investigation into four Kansas school districts.
In a press release on Thursday, the investigations initiated against Topeka Public Schools, Shawnee Mission Public Schools, Olathe Public Schools, and Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools follow a complaint filed by the Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI).
The complaint alleged the districts' policies and practices permit students to participate in sports and access intimate facilities based on a student's "gender identity" versus their biological sex, according to the release.
The complaint goes on to add that the districts' policies prevent school officials from disclosing a student's gender identity to their parents without the student's consent.
"These policies and practices potentially violate Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)," the U.S. Department of Education wrote in Thursday's press release.
Revolución Educativa, also known as RevEd, supports educators and students across both Kansas and Missouri.
"These claims are just noise," Christy Moreno, the advocacy officer for RevEd, told KSHB 41.
In June 2025, Attorney General Kris Kobach (R-Kansas) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon asking the department to investigate the four districts for "illegal social transition policies."
"For far too long, we have one state leader who has been attacking public education, attacking students and is now getting a little attention in D.C.," Moreno said. "We believe that any positive experience for students, anything that is going to impact their well-being and their learning, needs to be supported."
Moreno went on to say the examples provided in the complaint and letter are vague and not grounded.
"The most important duty of K–12 schools is to keep the students in their care safe from harm during the school day. Yet, schools across the country, including in the state of Kansas, are ignoring that fundamental obligation in the interest of promoting a virulent ideology that pushes children into a pipeline of “social transitioning” without notifying parents who might object to this process and its potentially lifelong consequences," Kobach said in a Thursday press release.
The Defense of Freedom Institute, the non-profit filing the complaint, has this statement listed on its website:
The Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies, Inc. (DFI) is an independent, nonprofit institute focused on providing thoughtful, conservative solutions to the challenges presented by education, workforce, labor, and employment issues.
Through a unique blend of policy and legal expertise, we fight to expand school and work opportunities for all Americans; to limit the power of federal agencies and government-sector unions; and to defend the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans in the classroom and the workplace.
In the complaint letter, the group cites claims from an ongoing lawsuit filed by a Shawnee Mission North High School teacher.
In the letter, the lawsuit alleges that Jennifer Caedran Sullivan was wrongfully and unlawfully disciplined for refusing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training.
The letter goes on to claim the school district reprimanded her for failing to use a student's preferred name and pronouns.
DFI did its own digging into all the school districts' policies to identify what it believes to be wrongdoing under Title IX and FERPA.
The Shawnee Mission School District issued KSHB 41 this statement:
This morning, the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), Office for Civil Rights and Student Privacy Policy Office, informing the district that those offices have received a complaint and are initiating an investigation into allegations that SMSD’s practices for providing equal access to transgender students violate federal laws. Unlike any other investigation notice letter that the district has received in the past, this letter outlines the USDOE’s enforcement options to withhold payments, to issue cease and desist orders, and to sue.
The USDOE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) works to enforce civil rights law by investigating complaints alleging that a school district discriminated against a student or failed to provide equal access to a student. Enforcement of students’ civil rights is a critical function of the U.S. Department of Education, and the SMSD fully supports this mission. The USDOE’s letter states that the District’s practices will be investigated for compliance with Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination and ensures equal access to educational opportunities for all students. Through today, SMSD is not aware of any parent or student filing an OCR complaint alleging that the district’s practices for working with transgender students and their families violates Title IX. We of course stand ready to address any concerns from an SMSD family that come forward.
The USDOE’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) works to administer and enforce the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law which protects the privacy of student education records and grants the parents of minor students a right to access education records. This is another critical function of the USDOE, and the district fully supports that mission. Again, the district is not aware of any parent of a transgender student filing a complaint with the SPPO alleging a violation of FERPA. We stand ready to address any parent concerns and are committed to cooperatively working with families of transgender students.
As a public school district, we are dedicated to serving the needs of each and every student and take our responsibility to respect students’ civil rights and to provide equal access seriously. Parents/guardians who have concerns about their child in relation to gender identity may contact Shawnee Mission School District administration at any time for support. We also are committed to following the law, and are confident that our practices align with federal and state laws. We look forward to being able to resolve the investigation in an expeditious manner.
Moreno and RevEd remain frustrated with how Kobach and the Department of Education are operating this investigation, telling KSHB 41 it is casting a negative light on public education and drawing attention away from what really matters.
"Our children need us right now," she said. "They need us to support their education, they need us to support their development, and their well-being."
The Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District also issued a statement to KSHB 41 stating the district does not have a policy or procedure related to the allegations referenced by the Office for Civil Rights.
"Our district remains committed to full compliance with all state and federal laws," the district wrote. "We are equally committed to ensuring that every student feels safe at school and can focus on learning."
Olathe Public Schools also issued a statement stating that the district stands ready and willing to cooperate with the corresponding agencies completely.
Neither the Shawnee Mission nor the Olathe school districts have received any complaints from parents or students regarding violations.
"Olathe Public Schools is obligated to follow all state and federal laws to support our students, staff and families. As a district, it is always our practice to work directly and partner with families and students as situations arise to ensure we are providing the appropriate and necessary support. To be absolutely clear, it is our expectation that staff work directly with families regarding student-related matters involving their own child(ren)," Olathe Public Schools wrote. "In Olathe Public Schools, we stand ready and are proud to serve all students who attend our schools. That is the foundation and responsibility of all public school systems – to serve every child that walks through our doors. Our focus is and will always be educating our students for their future."
Both Kobach and Education Secretary McMahon touted the Trump Administration's statutory protection of Title IX.
"The Kansas districts’ alleged behavior of allowing gender ideology to run amok in their schools is an affront not only to the law, but to the sound judgment we expect from our educational leaders. School personnel should not confuse and unsettle young girls by forcing them to share sex-separated sports and intimate facilities with boys; nor should school personnel abuse their position of authority by hiding sensitive information pertaining to a child’s health and well-being from that child’s parents,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said. "...My offices will vigorously investigate these matters to ensure these practices come to an end.”
RevEd told KSHB 41, it understands if parents may have worries about their children, but encourages great communication with teachers.
"Talk to your kids. What do your kids need? Do your kids have different things they need to sit down and talk to you about, whether it’s their needs, well-being, education, whether it’s their identity," Moreno added. "Those are conversations we need to be having at home... Legislators, the Department of Education really needs to focus on what matters. And that is the academic and educational outcomes of our kids, not persecuting them for their identities."
KSHB 41 reached out to the Attorney General's Office, attorneys involved in the Shawnee Mission School District lawsuit, DFI, and multiple Kansas House and Senate members for comment and is still awaiting a response.
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