Trump Warns US Schools Over Gender Policies, Threatens Federal Funding Cuts

August 25, 2026

Washington: The Trump administration has warned that US schools could lose federal funding if they allow children to undergo gender-related changes without informing their parents, escalating its campaign to strengthen parental control over education.

US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on Monday that her department was working with the Department of Justice to ensure school districts did not exercise greater authority over children than their parents.

“If they subject children to radical experiments and sideline parents, they will lose their federal funding,” McMahon said during a back-to-school event at the White House Rose Garden.

McMahon Accuses Previous Administration

McMahon accused the previous administration of allowing schools to conceal gender-transition decisions from parents.

“After the Biden administration allowed schools to secretly transition students without parents’ knowledge, President Trump is defending parental rights like never before,” she said.

“At his direction, we are working hand in hand with the Department of Justice to ensure no school district ever has more power over a child than their own parents,” McMahon added.

No response from former Biden administration officials or the school districts affected by the warning was included in the material provided.

McMahon specifically mentioned California, saying the administration had identified what she described as widespread violations.

“We’ve exposed states like California for some of the most widespread offences and put schools on notice,” she said.

Trump Targets Gender Policies in Schools

Trump said schools had also been warned against telling children that they were trapped in the wrong body.

“Every public school in America is now on notice that if they tell a child that they’re trapped in the wrong body, they are committing child abuse,” Trump said.

He said his administration had moved quickly to remove what he described as gender ideology and critical race theory from public schools after returning to office.

“We’re systematically ending every single one of these radical left betrayals, and we’re putting the parents back in charge,” Trump said.

“They’re the ones that love our children. They’re the ones that should be in charge,” he added.

Trump also highlighted his administration’s policy barring transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports, saying the issue remained politically contentious despite court victories claimed by his administration.

Administration Pushes Parental Rights

McMahon described the warning as part of a broader restructuring of the US education system, saying decision-making was being shifted from federal officials to state governments, educators, local leaders and parents.

“Children belong to their parents, not the federal government,” she said.

McMahon said the administration was also “vigorously protecting” parents’ right to know what happens inside schools.

“Never before have parental rights been enforced at this scale. And parents are back in the driver’s seats where they rightfully belong,” she said.

Policies concerning transgender students have led to disputes among states, school districts, parents and civil rights groups across the US. The disagreements include participation in school sports, access to facilities, use of preferred names and pronouns, and when schools should notify parents.