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The U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office and the Department of Justice allege that two school districts, Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland and Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan, have withheld information from parents regarding students' gender identity.

The SPPO and the DOJ plan to take enforcement action against the school district in Maryland after the district allegedly classified students' gender identity as confidential medical information that could not be shared with parents. The federal offices are also considering enforcement action against the Michigan district.

This follows complaints received by SPPO from parents in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, who said they learned that their daughter's school had been using a male name and pronouns for their child at school after receiving an email that referred to their daughter with male pronouns.

The investigations are part of the Trump administration's broader effort to scrutinize K-12 schools and universities over policies involving parental rights and gender identity. In announcing the actions, the Education Department alleged the districts were “secretly transitioning students and hiding it from parents.”

According to SPPO, when the parents in the Maryland district asked school administrators for more information, the principal declined to discuss the student's gender-related support at school, and the assistant principal did not provide the records the parents had requested.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools said it first learned of the federal allegations through the Education Department's press release and had not yet received any formal notice or supporting documentation. The district told The Center Square that it would review any official findings with legal counsel before responding and emphasized that it takes its obligations under FERPA seriously but could not comment on matters involving an individual student.

The Department of Education states that withholding this kind of sensitive information violates the parental rights protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

“Let this serve as notice to every school district in the country: FERPA is not optional,” Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, said in a statement sent to The Center Square. “The Department of Justice will enforce it to the maximum extent of the law, and any district that hides a child's sensitive information from their own parents should expect immediate federal action.”

The SPPO also determined that Ann Arbor Public Schools' policy directing employees not to disclose a student's transgender status to parents likely violates FERPA.

The Education Department has given the district until Aug. 10 to explain why enforcement action should not proceed and to justify its policy of maintaining certain records related to a student's gender identity in a separate filing system.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the administration believes schools should not withhold information about a child's gender identity from parents.

The Center Square reached out to Ann Arbor Public Schools for a comment but did not receive a response.

(The Center Square) – One time Wisconsin candidate for governor Kirk Bangstad says politics and a conspiracy from the state’s big brewers is to blame for losing his brewers permit.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue confirmed that it revoked Bangstad’s brewing permit for his taprooms in Minocqua and Madison.

The state opened an investigation into Bangstad after he was selling beer brewed in Illinois in his taprooms in Wisconsin without paying the proper taxes.

On Monday, Bangstad wrote on Facebook that the charges are “laughable.”

"I couldn’t believe it and neither could the law firm that handles my liquor permits," Bangstad wrote. "They both believe that someone in Wisconsin’s government is trying to make an example out of me, and they’ve told me to fight this with everything I’ve got."

Bangstad then claimed he's really a victim of both Gov. Tony Evers' and Wisconsin's other, bigger breweries.

"Our brewery is very popular among progressives throughout the Upper Midwest because we actively fight against right-wing authoritarianism and corruption. As a result of our political activism, we’ve been boycotted by beer distributors and major grocery chains," he added. "Once you 'understand' that all of the laws that [the DOR] said we broke were created to help large distributors take advantage of small breweries, you can see the 'whole picture,' and how the government can use byzantine liquor laws to put 'mouthy brewers' out of business."

Bangstad has made no secret of his progressive politics and has been a frequent critic of Evers.

Bangstad briefly ran for governor earlier this year but dropped his bid when he failed to make the ballot.

Bangstad said he is exploring his legal options and is promising to stay in business if he can.

" I’m not taking this lying down. We’re going to fight the state of Wisconsin tooth and nail, and once again, they’ll have to pry me out of my taprooms before I stop selling beer to thirsty progressives who come to visit us," he wrot

(The Center Square) - The five Democrats running for governor will take part in a debate at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, two weeks before the state’s Aug. 11 primary.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Rep. Francesca Hong, businessman Joel Brennan, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and state Sen. Kelda Roys will be at the hourlong event, hosted by WISN. It will be moderated by WISN’s Gerron Jordan and Matt Smith and streamed for free along with running on stations such as Green Bay (WBAY), Madison (WKOW), Wausau (WAOW), Eau Claire (WQOW) and La Crosse (WXOW).

Hong led the race again in the most recent Marquette Poll, which included Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez but not Crowley, because Rodriguez withdrew from the race after polling was completed. Crowley reentered the race after Rodriguez left.

Hong was vocal in her criticism of Madison Police after the shooting of Corey Ruiz, who reportedly had a knife, by officers. She called the shooting an execution while Barnes called for transparency and Crowley said that it was a reminder of other tragedies in the state.

Crowley has also faced questions about postings on his old “Dirt McGirk” Twitter account.

Early voting has already begun with lawsuits filed last week to change Wisconsin Election Commission guidance that early arriving absentee ballots cannot be spoiled and recast after Rodriguez dropped out of the race and to allow provisional ballots from those whose absentee ballots were not expected to arrive by Election Day due to U.S. Postal Service delays.

Republican congressman Tom Tiffany is the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination over Andy Manske in the primary.

(The Center Square) – Kirk Bangstad, unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, is lashing-out at what he sees as Democrats’ meddling in the race for governor.

He is accusing Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers, of trying to alter Francesca Hong's momentum because she is a Democratic Socialist. On social media, Bangstad in part called Evers a "cynical corporate" Democrat, said Evers was scared of the party nominating Hong because it could give the November race to Republican Tom Tiffany, and said corporate Democrats "have no faith Wisconsinites will vote for an affordability message."

He said it was sickening.

Bangstad did not get enough signatures to make the Aug. 11 primary.

Bangstad used his megaphone to criticize David Crowley reentering the race, said Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders should have been the Democrats' nominee in 2020 and 2016, and said Evers' endorsement of Crowley was intended to hurt Hong.

Bangstad said "making backroom deals to advance less popular candidates" is a losing strategy that disenfranchises progressives.