The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office launched an investigation into The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough in Massachusetts to determine whether local officials violated federal student privacy and parental rights laws by facilitating a minor student’s gender transition without parental consent.
Federal Investigation Into Algonquin Regional High School
According to the U.S. Department of Education, federal investigators are examining actions taken by staff at Algonquin Regional High School. Parents of the student allege that school personnel helped facilitate their daughter’s social transition to a boy without notifying them. The parents state that their daughter attended after-school counseling sessions intended to support the transition while family members believed she was receiving extra help with math coursework. School personnel allegedly began using a male name and pronouns for the student without parental knowledge. Frank Miller, Director of the Student Privacy Policy Office, stated according to the Department of Education that parents have a right to know what happens with their children at school, particularly regarding health and well-being matters.
Allegations of Family Separation and Custody Litigation
Following the events at the school, a school counselor reported the family to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, according to federal officials. The family report alleged that the parents were counteracting the school’s efforts to transition their child. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families subsequently removed the minor from the family home in December 2024. The family is currently involved in ongoing litigation regarding the custody of their daughter, according to the Department of Education.
Federal Statutes Under Review: FERPA and PPRA
The federal inquiry focuses on potential violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. Under FERPA, schools must allow parents to inspect, review, and request amendments to their children’s education records. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment requires schools to obtain written parental consent before administering surveys, evaluations, or analyses that touch on sensitive subjects such as mental health, religious beliefs, or sex behaviors. These statutory enforcement priorities were reinforced in Student Privacy Policy Office guidance letters issued in March 2025 and August 2026.
The investigation into the Massachusetts school district follows prior federal enforcement actions regarding parental rights. In July, the Student Privacy Policy Office found that Burlington Public Schools in Massachusetts violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment after administering a sensitive survey to students despite parental opt-out requests. Federal regulators are also examining state and local policies that restrict parental access to student education records.