by Sharelle B. McNair
September 26, 2025
Since the districts failed to meet the demands, Trainor intended to list the schools as not falling into compliance with federal civil rights law, labeling them ineligible for the grants.
In another attack against trans youth, the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights under the Trump Administration has threatened New York City public schools with holding back $24 million in funding for failing to change a policy that protects trans students, CNN reports.
In a letter dated Sept. 16, the agency gave New York City Schools, in addition to Chicago Public Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, until Sept. 23 to change a policy that permits students access to locker rooms and restrooms that correspond with their gender identity or risk losing funding for specialty magnet schools. The Education Department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor, claims the policy violates Title IX, forbidding discrimination based on sex in education.
Since the districts failed to meet the demands, Trainor intended to list the schools as not falling into compliance with federal civil rights law, labeling them ineligible for the grants.
According to Chalkbeat New York, city officials requested 30 days to decide whether to appeal the administration’s decision to withhold the funding, as the timing was so short. Department of Education spokesperson Madison Biedermann said the tight timeline was due to the federal government’s requirement to certify compliance with civil rights laws before the end of the fiscal year, which is Sept. 30.
The threat prompted responses from NYC mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Mayor Eric Adams, who questioned the city’s policies. “I don’t know what parent of a little girl would be comfortable with a boy walking into the shower where their baby is,” Adams said during an interview on PIX11.
“I’m just not going to support that.”
Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, appointed by Adams, defended the district’s decision to keep policies in place. “To date, you know, those policies remain in place, and we’re going to continue to uphold them as part of our values here in New York City Public Schools,” she said during a recent podcast appearance.
School districts across the country have been targeted for some of their policies that appear to conflict with the values of the current administration. In Chicago, schools were pressured to shut down a program that provides academic resources to Black students. Trainor described the program as “textbook racial discrimination.”
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