Anne Arundel County Public Schools now requires parental permission before staff can use a transgender student’s preferred name or pronouns, a policy shift embedded in internal presentation slides rather than in the district’s publicly posted regulation. The slides, reviewed by The Baltimore Banner, state that if a parent does not agree, the school must comply with the parent’s request on preferred name, group bathroom use and pronouns. They also state that when a parent is supportive and gives permission, all supports described in the regulation can be implemented.
The guidance was delivered by Ryan Voegtlin, assistant superintendent of student services. District spokesperson Bob Mosier confirmed to the Banner that the slides have never been part of district regulations. Operational guidelines describe the actions staff should take to comply with published regulations, meaning the parental-consent requirement exists only in internal guidance, not in the publicly posted regulation.
Published regulation says something different
The district’s published regulation, Administrative Regulation JQ-RA revised August 18, 2026, states that every student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun that correspond to the student’s gender identity. It says a court-ordered name or gender change is not required and the student is not required to change official school records. The regulation directs staff to work with a student and the student’s parents to develop an appropriate plan to accommodate and support the student, unless there is a genuine safety concern.
The amended regulation added new FERPA compliance language in its confidentiality section, stating that nothing in the regulation shall be construed to limit or interfere with parents’ rights under FERPA, including the right to inspect their student’s complete education record. The prior version had described gender identity information as potentially confidential medical information within the student’s educational record.
Superintendent Mark T. Bedell announced the regulation update in an August 19 letter to the community. He wrote that district policies and practices cannot override parental rights under federal student privacy law, including information in education records related to gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, preferred name, or preferred pronouns. The district did not publicly disclose the operational guidelines requiring parental permission for use of preferred names.
Federal enforcement and lawsuit preceded the changes
On July 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced enforcement action against Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The agencies determined that the district improperly classified information about a student’s gender identity as confidential medical information that cannot be shared with parents, violating FERPA. The enforcement could include judicial proceedings and potential loss of federal funding.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon sent a letter on July 29 giving the district seven days to rescind its policy, provide affected parents with relevant records, and inform staff they cannot withhold information from parents, or face litigation. Dhillon stated that FERPA compliance is mandatory and districts that fail to meet its requirements will face federal enforcement.
The federal action followed a lawsuit filed July 8, 2026, in U.S. District Court of Maryland by America First Legal on behalf of parents identified as John and Jane Doe. The suit alleged the district secretly facilitated their child’s social gender transition at school without parental notice or consent, violating constitutional and religious rights.
Teachers’ union raises concerns about clarity
Teachers’ union president Kristina Korona told members in an Aug. 20 email that the new guidance undermines district policy on acceptance and inclusivity and would negatively affect affected students right away. She also noted confusion among educators about how to distinguish between nicknames and gender-affirming preferred names, writing on Aug. 23 that the guidance has not been clearly communicated to staff.
How other districts have faced similar pressure
Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan was targeted by the same July 27 federal enforcement action. The Education Department determined that Ann Arbor’s policy requiring school employees to hide a child’s transgender status from parents likely violates FERPA and gave the district until August 10 to demonstrate why enforcement should not proceed. Ann Arbor was also told it must justify its policy directing school officials to maintain gender-identity records in a separate filing system.
The Education Department previously withheld funding from Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia because the district allows students to use restrooms associated with their gender identity, a step the department said violates Title IX.
The Education Department has previously used FERPA in attempts to overturn similar transgender nondisclosure policies in Maine and California. The Education Department also issued a finding against the California Department of Education for FERPA violations, citing practices including creating secret gender support plans and petitioning a student management software company to hide children’s name changes and pronouns from parents.
Maryland is one of 35 states with no statewide rule requiring schools to notify parents about a student’s gender identity. Fifteen states require notification, some only if a student requests a different name, others if a student mentions a desire to change gender identity.
Federal framework established months earlier
In March 2025, the Education Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office sent a Dear Colleague Letter to state superintendents reminding them of FERPA compliance obligations and designating the practice of hiding a child’s gender identity from parents as a priority concern for enforcement. Secretary Linda McMahon’s cover letter emphasized that parents hold the primary responsibility for protecting their children. This letter established the federal framework under which the Anne Arundel enforcement action was taken.