Sacramento, CA — State Senator Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) sharply criticized the Trump Administration Thursday after it announced an investigation into California’s education policy regarding the protection of LGBTQ+ students.
The move, widely seen as the first step toward withholding federal education funding from California, follows the state’s prohibition on forced outing policies in public schools.
At issue are recent state guidelines that bar school districts from requiring teachers to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to parents without the student’s consent. While the policy still allows educators to communicate with families on a case-by-case basis, it prevents blanket mandates—several of which have been passed by conservative school boards in recent years—that compel teachers to out students regardless of potential risks at home.
Advocates warn that such forced outing policies put LGBTQ+ youth at serious risk, including exposure to emotional abuse, violence, and homelessness if their families are not accepting.
“Trump’s cruelty toward LGBTQ kids is designed to distract from his attacks on social security and health care and the unbelievable disgrace of his senior defense officials’ intelligence breach earlier this week,” said Wiener in a statement Friday. “Every minute Trump spends on political red meat for his base instead of investigating and fixing his own staff’s breach of security makes Americans less safe.”
Wiener condemned the administration’s threat to defund California schools, calling the move “both illegal and despicable.”
“Schools should be a safe environment for all young people,” he said. “Sometimes teachers must bring conversations about a student’s identity to their parents, but forcing that teacher to do so even when doing so puts a child at risk is reckless. That’s why California law protects teachers’ ability to make judgment calls while preventing extreme right-wing school boards from putting LGBTQ youth’s safety at risk.”
Wiener warned of dire consequences if the administration’s actions go unchallenged: “If Trump succeeds, kids will be harmed, and some will die. California will use every tool at our disposal to defend our LGBTQ youth.”
The Trump administration has openly targeted the Department of Education for defunding and dismantling in recent months, framing the move as part of a broader culture war agenda aimed at states and school districts that resist federal directives on issues such as gender identity, curriculum, and parental rights.
The current investigation could signal a prolonged legal battle between the federal government and California over the future of education funding and student protections.
