Trump Admin Rescinds Civil Rights Settlements Protecting Trans Students

The Department of Education rolled back protections for transgender students at multiple school districts across the country.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:39pm

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A fractured, abstract painting in shades of blue, purple, and grey depicting the silhouette of a student walking down a school hallway, with the figure repeated and distorted to convey a sense of motion and instability.The Trump administration's rollback of civil rights protections for transgender students creates an unstable and unsafe environment for a vulnerable student population.Fife Today

The Trump administration's Department of Education has rescinded portions of civil rights settlements intended to protect transgender students at five school districts and one college. The move was framed as 'freeing schools' from the 'illegal and burdensome enforcement' of Title IX, the landmark civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding. Advocates sharply condemned the rollback, saying it sends a 'chilling alarm' that trans students are a target of the administration and strips away policies that keep all students safe.

Why it matters

This action is the latest in the Trump administration's ongoing assault on transgender rights, which has included opening at least 40 civil rights investigations into educational institutions that provide protections for trans students. Advocates warn that the rollback of these settlements not only harms transgender students, but also undermines the core purpose of Title IX to ensure all students are treated with dignity and can learn without discrimination.

The details

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights rescinded portions of settlements with five school districts - Delaware Valley School District in Pennsylvania, Cape Henlopen School District in Delaware, Fife School District in Washington, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Sacramento City Unified in California - as well as Taft College in California. This move allows these districts to roll back their existing antidiscrimination protections for transgender students.

  • In February 2026, the Trump administration notified the Delaware Valley School District of the changes.
  • The rescissions came on the heels of last week's International Transgender Day of Visibility.

The players

US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights

The federal agency that enforces civil rights laws in schools, including Title IX's prohibition on sex-based discrimination.

Shelby Chestnut

Executive director of the California-based Transgender Law Center, who condemned the rollback as sending a 'chilling alarm that trans students really are a target of this administration.'

Shiwali Patel

Senior director of education justice at the National Women's Law Center, who said the Department of Education's actions have 'no basis' and are 'unimaginably cruel' in stripping away policies that keep all students safe.

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What they’re saying

“This sends a chilling alarm that trans students really are a target of this administration. It's extremely concerning. Students should be safe to go to school and get an education.”

— Shelby Chestnut, Executive Director, Transgender Law Center

“There is absolutely no basis for what the Department of Education is doing, and it is unimaginably cruel. Title IX exists to ensure that students are protected from discrimination and treated with dignity so that they can learn and thrive in our schools. It's always been about that.”

— Shiwali Patel, Senior Director of Education Justice, National Women's Law Center

What’s next

The Trump administration has filed lawsuits in California and Minnesota challenging protections for transgender students, and advocates warn that further legal battles are likely as the administration continues its assault on trans rights.

The takeaway

This rollback of civil rights settlements protecting transgender students is the latest escalation in the Trump administration's broader campaign to target and marginalize the transgender community. It undermines the core purpose of Title IX and sends a chilling message that trans students are not welcome or safe in America's schools.