The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into the Minnesota Department of Education to determine whether state officials violated federal parental rights laws regarding classroom instructional materials.
The investigation, led by the federal Student Privacy Policy Office, follows a complaint filed by the organization Defending Ed on behalf of local parents. The filing alleges that Minnesota parents were not given prior notice or an opportunity to opt their children out of classroom activities involving “MyGenderDolls.”
Developed through a taxpayer-funded program at the University of Minnesota, the dolls are scheduled to become available to educators this fall for use with students as young as four years old.
The dolls feature removable and interchangeable internal and external genitalia, gender-neutral names, and clothing for both sexes.
Parents cited in the complaint argue that introducing the materials without prior notification violates their rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. The federal law guarantees parents the right to review instructional programming and grants opt-out protections for sensitive student surveys and evaluations.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon issued a statement announcing the enforcement action.
“While Governor Walz and the radical left continue to funnel taxpayer dollars to perverted ideologies that can harm children, the Trump Administration is fighting to protect children’s innocence and defend parents’ role as the first and primary decision-makers in their child’s education,” McMahon said. “No four-year-old should be exposed to such material – especially without a parent’s knowledge or consent. ED will enforce the law to its fullest extent, putting parents and families firmly in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.”
The inquiry follows National Parents’ Day on July 26 as part of a series of federal actions focused on enforcing parental notification and curriculum review standards in public schools.
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