U.S. Department of Education Directs Schools to Comply with Parental Rights Laws

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) sent a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to Chief State School Officers and Superintendents at educational institutions receiving federal funding notifying them of their compliance obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). Compliance with these laws means that schools must allow parents to review all education records of their student, including any document related to a student’s “gender identity.”