According to K-12 Dive, the Trump administration is escalating its crackdown on mental health screenings for students, stressing that the practice doesn’t comply with parental rights laws if school officials administer the screenings without first notifying parents and obtaining their written consent. In fact, on October 5, 2026 a warning was sent to state attorneys general by the U.S. Departments of Education (USDE) and Justice (DOJ). It follows a Dear Colleague letter sent in August that described the Trump administration’s approach to enforcement under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
In addition, the administration has opened investigations at a rapid pace under the privacy laws to crack down on schools’ policies related to LGBTQ+ students, such as creating gender support plans or using students’ pronouns when they differ from the students’ biological sex.
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