A conservative school board in Washington state is asking the Trump administration to intervene after facing pressure to comply with a state model policy on gender inclusivity in schools that the board says is in violation of federal directives.
The Mead School Board wrote letters to the Department of Education and the Department of Justice on Tuesday asking for federal assistance in resolving its legal predicament over the state’s “Gender-Inclusive Schools” policy 3211, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in schools in compliance with Washington law.
The letters explain that the school district has been mandated by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to revise its current gender identity policy to conform to the statewide model policy. However, the board argues the state mandate conflicts with President Donald Trump’s executive orders on gender ideology in schools and protecting women’s sports.
The board argues that it has been placed in “an impossible position,” as complying with the OSPI mandate could jeopardize their federal funding, but a failure to comply could result in “state-imposed financial penalties and loss of funding.”
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The school board says the community has expressed “deep opposition” to the required changes, which include preventing school staff from notifying parents of a child’s gender identity without student consent.
“We’re a red school district in a blue state,” Mead School Board President Michael Cannon told The Spokesman-Review. “That’s a very difficult spot to be in.”
The current school district policy is an attempt at a “middle ground” between the state mandate and protecting parents’ rights, the board’s letter says.
However, a statewide civil rights review by the superintendent’s office in February determined the district’s policy was not in compliance with the state’s gender-inclusive policy guidelines. They have 30 days to take correctional action, according to the OSPI.
“Not only is the school board facing a legal dilemma (not of its own making), but it has also been put in the untenable position of being ‘unable to win’ with its stakeholders and constituents, the majority of whom are opposed to the concepts in OSPI is trying to enforce in policy 3211, no matter what it does,” the Mead School Board letter reads. “As a school board, we have thus become cannon fodder in an ongoing culture war.”
The board is asking the Education Department and Justice Department to protect its federal funding, issue guidance affirming that federal policy takes precedents over conflicting state requirements and investigate the superintendent’s office for civil rights violations regarding Title IX and parental rights protections under federal law.
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“We are fighting to protect the educational stability of over 10,000 students, and we will not stand by as state agencies trample parental rights, put female athletes at a disadvantage, and jeopardize our ability to serve students,” Cannon said in a statement.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction defended the state policy when reached for comment.
“Washington nondiscrimination laws already comply with federal civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes,” an OSPI spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “States are permitted to provide greater protections for students than what is required by minimum federal standards, and Washington’s laws fit squarely within the scope of what is allowed by federal law.”
“Federal executive orders or interpretative correspondence demanding a different approach do not have independent force of law and thus do not require a change in school policy. Such changes in school policy may expose students to discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression,” they added.
The OSPI said it is weighing potential legal action “if any district refuses to comply with state law, as well as if any federal dollars are frozen or removed from Washington’s K–12 school system based on OSPI’s adherence to state law.”
The Department of Justice and Education Department did not respond to a request for comment.
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