A lawsuit has been filed against the Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland by parents, referred to as John and Jane Doe, who allege that school officials concealed their daughter's social gender transition and cited district policy to justify this lack of communication. The lawsuit, led by America First Legal (AFL), claims that the school district's policies violate the plaintiffs' First and 14th Amendment rights, as well as provisions of the Maryland Constitution. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on July 5, 2026.
The lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal actions against school districts that have policies allowing staff to withhold information about a student's gender identity from parents. This case follows the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Mirabelli v. Bonta, which AFL argues reinforced parental rights regarding their children's upbringing.
Ian Prior, a senior advisor at AFL, stated that the school district did not adhere to the legal precedent established by the Supreme Court. The complaint details an incident from December 2025, when a teacher mistakenly referred to the student by a male name in an email to the parents. After the parents requested that the school use their daughter's legal name, school officials allegedly refused, citing district policies that require staff to honor a student's preferred name and pronouns while keeping their gender identity confidential from parents.
The lawsuit also mentions subsequent instances where school staff used the male name in communications with the parents, leading to further inquiries from the plaintiffs. Prior emphasized that litigation was necessary to ensure schools comply with constitutional and legal standards regarding parental notification and consent in cases of social gender transition.
AFL is pursuing similar cases in other jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania and California, amid ongoing debates over school policies related to parental rights and student gender identity. The Anne Arundel County Public Schools have not commented on the ongoing litigation.