Washington DC, June 18, 2026 — Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, announced a new federal initiative aimed at strengthening parental rights in the nation’s schools.
In a video posted on X on June 18, Dhillon said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights had signed what she described as a “historic interagency agreement” to protect the rights of parents and families.
“Today is a new day for parental rights in America,” Dhillon said. “I’m thrilled to announce that the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, have just signed a historic interagency agreement to protect you, your children, and your families in our nation’s schools.”
Dhillon said the initiative would focus on enforcing two federal laws: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
According to Dhillon, FERPA guarantees parents access to their children’s educational records, while PPRA protects families from having children compelled to participate in surveys or discussions involving sensitive topics without parental knowledge or consent.
“A school cannot hide your child’s educational records or curriculum from you, and it cannot force your child to discuss sensitive topics without your consent,” she said.
Dhillon argued that some school districts have failed to follow these protections and have “kept parents in the dark” regarding matters affecting their children.
“But too many schools have ignored these protections, twisted the rules, and kept parents in the dark, exactly when their children needed them the most,” she said. “That ends today.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing national debates over parental notification policies, student gender identity issues, school curriculum transparency, and the role of parents in educational decision-making.
Without naming specific school districts, Dhillon pledged aggressive enforcement against schools that violate federal parental-rights laws.
“I have directed the Civil Rights Division to use every single tool we have,” she said. “No more bureaucratic delays, no more endless paperwork. We’re cutting through the red tape and taking decisive action.”
Dhillon said schools receiving federal funds could face investigations, lawsuits, and potential loss of federal funding if they are found to be blocking parents from exercising their legal rights.
“If a school has a policy or practice that blocks you from exercising your rights, we will investigate,” she said. “If necessary, we will litigate. If a school continues to violate the law, then that school will not receive federal funds anymore.”
The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s pledge to expand parental authority in education and increase federal scrutiny of school policies related to student privacy and gender identity.
In her post accompanying the video, Dhillon declared, “TODAY is a NEW DAY for #ParentalRights,” adding that the Civil Rights Division would restore parental authority through “no secret transitions, no hiding info from parents, no surveys without consent.”
“Parents,” she concluded in the video, “your voice is back. Your rights are being enforced, and your children’s future is safer than ever. This is real change, and it starts right now.”
The announcement signals a more aggressive federal approach to enforcing parental-rights provisions that have existed for decades but are now becoming a central focus of the Trump administration’s education agenda.
