The Trump administration has launched a federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District's transgender student policies, focusing on rules that permit schools to keep students' gender identities secret from parents.

The probe, initiated by the Justice Department on March 25, 2026, targets LAUSD Board Rule 6224.2, adopted in 2019. This policy requires schools to affirm students' gender identities, allowing them to use preferred pronouns and restrooms. It also instructs staff to consider a student's "safety, health, and well-being" before disclosing gender identity information to parents, potentially enabling secrecy.

The investigation stems from a lawsuit filed by parents Kathleen Mulligan and Andrew Parke. They claim the district's policy isolated their child, Dylan, by depriving them of knowledge about his gender distress, contributing to his suicide. "The secrecy policy isolated Dylan rather than helping him," the parents stated. "It did not expand educational access or reduce stigma; instead, it cut him off from those best equipped to address his distress and mental health risks, depriving him of the stability parental involvement provides."

A separate complaint from a female student alleges she was sexually assaulted after LAUSD ignored warnings about the perpetrator, further prompting scrutiny.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized parental authority in announcing the probe. "Parents have a fundamental right to the care, custody, and control of their children, including the right to direct their children’s upbringing and education," she said.

LAUSD, the nation's second-largest school district serving over 400,000 students, received notification in March but declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

This action aligns with the Trump administration's broader campaign to prioritize parental rights and challenge transgender policies in schools. Recent moves include terminating civil rights settlements protecting transgender students in multiple districts and probing California statewide practices on parental notification. The administration has argued that such policies violate Title IX by discriminating based on sex and infringing on family rights.

The lawsuit by Mulligan and Parke remains pending in federal court, and the Justice Department's review could lead to enforcement actions or demands for policy changes. Critics of the LAUSD approach contend it undermines parental involvement at a critical time for vulnerable youth, while supporters previously defended it as safeguarding transgender students from potential harm.

As the investigation unfolds, it highlights escalating tensions between federal oversight and local school policies on gender identity, with implications for districts nationwide.