Anne Arundel County Schools revised its LGBTQ+ student policy after pressure from federal education and justice officials. The change strengthens parents’ access to student education records, as noted by Baltimore Chronicle.
The dispute centers on federal FERPA protections and information kept by schools about students. The U.S. Department of Education announced enforcement action against AACPS on July 27.
What changed in the Anne Arundel LGBTQ+ policy
Superintendent Mark Bedell announced revised language for the district’s LGBTQ+ student regulations. Parents and guardians may inspect their child’s complete education record.
The rule now explicitly covers records concerning:
- gender identity;
- transgender status;
- sexual orientation;
- preferred names;
- preferred pronouns.
FERPA parental rights cannot be restricted by another district policy, guideline, or practice. Bedell outlined that principle in his message to the school community.
The amendment does not simply remove the district’s LGBTQ+ protections. It clarifies how those protections interact with federal rules governing student records.
Why federal officials challenged AACPS
The dispute followed complaints from Anne Arundel County parents. They alleged their child’s school withheld information concerning gender identity.
According to federal officials, the parents discovered the situation through an email using male pronouns for their daughter. The Education Department said AACPS had improperly treated some gender identity information as confidential.
The sequence behind the policy change was:
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| July 27, 2026 | Education Department announces action against AACPS |
| August 19, 2026 | Superintendent announces revised regulation |
| August 20, 2026 | Updated policy receives wider public attention |
The federal intervention put AACPS gender identity policy under direct legal scrutiny. The central question concerned which school records parents can inspect under FERPA.
What the revised AACPS rule means for parents
The revised language gives parents clearer access to information maintained within official education records. That includes relevant records involving names, pronouns, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The change places Anne Arundel County Schools LGBTQ policy within a broader national dispute over parental rights. Similar conflicts are increasingly focused on FERPA, student privacy, and school disclosure requirements.
Earlier we wrote that Maryland Prison Body Cameras Now Used by All State Correctional Officers