Can Trump Really Defund Public Schools that Recognize Transgender Students? Our Children Need Our Protection – Don’t Vote for Trump

“Can Trump Really Defund Public Schools that Recognize Transgender Students?,” Dana Goldstein (New York Times 10/21/2024).

“In Los Angeles public schools, transgender students have equal access to facilities like bathrooms. They can play on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Teachers and counselors consult with students before discussing their gender identity with parents, in an effort to prevent unwanted disclosures.”

“All of those practices are required by school district policy. But those rules cross a red line for Donald J. Trump, who has said that if he returns to the White House, he will withhold federal funding from schools that recognize transgender identities or teach what he calls “gender indoctrination.”

“If that threat was realized in Los Angeles, for instance, the effects would be immediate, according to Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the 500,000-student district. While only about 8 percent of the district’s funding comes from the federal government – in line with other systems nationwide – the amount of money, $861 million this school year, is huge.”

“Withholding all of that would require bipartisan action from Congress and is highly unlikely. But by rewriting federal civil rights regulations about sex and gender, a second Trump administration could apply significant pressure on schools in left-leaning regions like Los Angles and New York. Districts could be investigated by the federal government and required to change their gender policies, under threat of legal action or fines. Smaller amounts of federal money could also be withheld through presidential executive action.”

Don’t vote for Trump.