A whistleblower video late last month that confirmed USD 500 Kansas City appeared to be continuing to flout state and federal law concerning “social transitioning” of students by having the conversations “be like underground railroad conversations … so not stopping the work, just not making it so public.”
The video prompted the United States Department of Justice to send a letter to district officials demanding they stop violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act with their transitioning policy.
In the letter dated July 21, 2026, obtained by The Sentinel, and signed by Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Harmeet K. Dhillon and United States Attorney District of Kansas Ryan Kriegshauser, the DOJ demands that KCKPS cease its transitioning policy violating FERPA within 14 days.
“We are aware of a recording that reveals Dr. Canise Salinas, KCKPS Assistant Superintendent of Organizational Development, referring to a ‘transgender guideline,’ which another unidentified person refers to as a ‘document,'” the letter reads. “Dr. Salinas asserts that the Transgender Guideline is not made available to the school community but is instead safeguarded by certain ‘gatekeepers.’ Additional recordings reveal (1) Dr. Salinas discussing secret policies, conversations, and other non-specified efforts that are deliberately hidden from public view; and (2) Lauren Hernandez, KCKPS Organizational Development Specialist, discussing her willingness to obscure information from a student’s father based on the father’s religious affiliation.
The letter notes that the law conditions the provision of federal funds to educational institutions on not adopting “a policy of denying, or which effectively prevents, the parents of students who are or have been in attendance at a school of such agency or at such institution, as the case may be, the right to inspect and review the education records of their children,” and points out that KCKPS is a recipient of federal funds.
The DOJ letter also says, “The Transgender Guideline and KCKPS employee practices appear to directly violate the conditions Congress placed on the receipt of federal funds.
“These actions by KCKPS create and enforce a policy that denies or effectively prevents parents from exercising their statutory right to inspect and review their children’s education records,” the letter reads. “Under FERPA, ‘education records’ includes any record, note, email, or other document maintained by KCKPS that contains information about a student’s transgender status, gender identity, sexual orientation, preferred name, pronouns, or related matters.
“A categorical prohibition on disclosure of that information to parents absent student authorization renders parents’ right to inspect and review those records meaningless. Worse, a coordinated, secret campaign waged by school administrators to bypass the requirements of the law reveals outright hostility to the rights FERPA protects.”
The Justice Department told KCK officials in the letter that to “avoid litigation,” the district has 14 days to:
- Cease all enforcement of the Transgender Guideline (and any related regulations, guidelines, or practices) that prohibit or restrict the disclosure of information concerning a student’s transgender status, gender identity, sexual orientation, preferred name, or preferred pronouns to the student’s parents or guardians.
- Evaluate all KCKPS policies, guidelines, and practices to ensure they protect and promote parents’ rights under FERPA, including the right to inspect and review their children’s education records in full, without restriction based on the content of those records.
- Issue a written directive to all KCKPS staff clarifying that no policy, guideline, or practice may prevent parents from accessing or being given information about any portion of their children’s education records, including records containing information about transgender status, gender identity, sexual orientation, preferred name, or preferred pronouns.
- Provide written confirmation to me, signed by the Superintendent of Schools and Board President,
- that KCKPS has completed the actions set forth in paragraphs 1-3 above.
- Produce any versions of the Transgender Guideline that have been in place since 2017.
- If KCKPS fails to comply in a timely manner with this demand, the United States will file a civil action to enforce FERPA’s conditions and to seek all other appropriate relief.
KMBC News reports the district declined to comment.
School Board met with fierce criticism over transitioning policy at recent meeting
The same day the letter was apparently delivered, the board also met in regular session, with several community members speaking specifically about the transitioning issue.
Community member Carl Stafford, who identified himself as an educator, said the board needed to communicate with parents.
“We are the tripod of education, right? We support the students, the community, right?” Stafford said. “The parents come first in that matter. So the mandate that you have is a mandate to communicate with parents. That’s what we truly must follow, and we must understand that.”
Stafford read the DOJ demands and asked about compliance.
“I ask, do you guys plan to comply with those requests?” Stafford said.
Board President Randy Lopez responded: “Mr. Stafford? We’re at time. Thank you so much.”
Stafford replied: “All right, silence is non-compliance, I’m going to assume, with all due respect.”
Another speaker chastised the board for a lack of transparency.
“My name is Dennis Upton, and tonight I stand before you wearing three hats: one as a parent, one as an educator, and the other as a pastor,” he said. “Those three roles have taught me one truth that seems to never change: children flourish when the adults entrusted with their lives choose collaboration over division, honesty over secrecy, transparency over concealment, and trust over suspicion. First, parents have a God-given and moral responsibility to raise their children. Schools are invaluable partners in education, but cannot and will not ever replace parents. Second, as an educator, our calling is to build partnerships, not barriers. Every successful student benefits when teachers and parents are transparent and communicate openly and honestly.”
KCKPS document appears to give the district the ability to hide things from parents
The Sentinel filed a request under the Kansas Open Records Act for the document in question, which was provided. The document entitled “USD 500 TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING STUDENTS INTERNAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT” clearly states that decisions to notify parents will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The USD 500 guidelines state: “A student or a student’s parent or legal guardian should contact the school principal if a student is transgender or gender non-conforming and the student or the student’s parent or legal guardian are seeking any related accommodations. If any staff member learns a student is transgender or gender non-conforming, that information should be relayed to the school principal without delay. The school principal should discuss available accommodations and resources with the student or the student’s parent or legal guardian, (emphasis added) including the availability of a planning meeting.”
However, under FERPA districts are required to allow parents access to all student records — which would include records of “gender transition.”
Moreover, Kansas law “mandates that state buildings and agencies (including public schools) shall not use resources to promote or advocate for social transitioning — such as using preferred pronouns or allowing dress inconsistent with the child’s sex assigned at birth, unless required by the First Amendment.”
