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Federal civil rights office finds Jeffco schools violated Title IX, gives district 10 days to comply
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Federal civil rights office finds Jeffco schools violated Title IX, gives district 10 days to comply

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Girls in Jefferson County Public Schools have been sharing bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight accommodations and sports rosters with male students—and the federal government just said that has to stop. The feds ruled Friday that Jeffco violated Title IX. Colorado’s second-largest school district, serving 74,200 students, has 10 days to comply or face enforcement action—including potential loss of federal funding.  OCR received athletic rosters directly from Jeffco confirming that male students occupy 61 positions on girls' sports teams across the district. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said the investigation found the district violated Title IX protections for female students. "Today's findings reveal sweeping ...
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Education Department Moves To Reveal Foreign Donors Funding US Universities
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The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Education Department Moves To Reveal Foreign Donors Funding US Universities

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell | The Daily Signal FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The Department of Education will soon require universities to publicly disclose the counterparties of foreign funding, a senior Education Department official told The Daily Signal. Section 117 of the Higher Education Act requires higher education institutions to report gifts and contracts valued at $250,000 or more to the Department of Education, to make them available for public inspection. Universities currently report counterparties, their gifters or contractors, to the agency. However, the identities of foreign counterparties are not made public, which the senior department official said violates the law. The totals received from counterparties of concern are listed in the Section...
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DPS Board Hears Divided Testimony On Proposed Immigration Safe Zone Policy
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

DPS Board Hears Divided Testimony On Proposed Immigration Safe Zone Policy

By Tyler Melito | Denver7 The proposed policy aims to make schools, bus stops and school events 'safe zones' from ICE. DENVER, Colo. - As tensions rise between ICE agents and communities across the country, Colorado's largest school district is considering a new policy that they say will protect students. The board is proposing a policy that would create safe zones at all district-managed and charter school properties — including school buildings, grounds, bus stops, school transportation and school-sponsored events — for students families and employees. On Thursday, the community had the chance to weigh in. "Protect and defend our immigrant students, parents, families, community members and employees, ensuring they are safe, valued, respected and ...
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Denver Public Schools Considers Safe Zone Policy Limiting ICE Access Without Warrants
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Public Schools Considers Safe Zone Policy Limiting ICE Access Without Warrants

By: Allie Jennerjahn | Denver7 DENVER — A Denver Public Schools (DPS) hearing is scheduled Thursday to discuss labeling all school property as "safe zones" for students, families and staff. This includes bus stops, transportation and school-sponsored events. The proposed policy would require United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE )agents and other federal officials to present a warrant before any student can be questioned or detained. Students at DPS have been contacted by ICE during lunch and dismissal, according to Denver-based advocacy group Movimiento Poder said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
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Supreme Court Sides With Parents In California Gender Identity Secrecy Fight
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The Daily Signal, Approved, National

Supreme Court Sides With Parents In California Gender Identity Secrecy Fight

By Tyler O'Neil | The Daily Signal The Supreme Court Monday vindicated parental rights, upholding an injunction against California’s gender secrecy policy, which mandated that school staff hide a student’s claimed transgender identity from parents unless the student expressly consented to reveal it. “This is a watershed moment for parental rights in America,” Paul Jonna, special counsel at the Thomas More Society, said in a statement responding to the decision Monday. “The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back.” “The court’s landmark reaffirmation of substantive due process, its vindication of religious liberty, and its approval of class-wide re...
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State bill creates new path for school discrimination complaints, sparks debate over harassment standard
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

State bill creates new path for school discrimination complaints, sparks debate over harassment standard

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice House Bill 26-1141 cleared the House Education Committee last week on a 9–3 vote and now moves to the Appropriations Committee before it can reach the House floor. The proposal would create a state-level process for handling discrimination complaints in K–12 schools and higher education. Complaints would go through the Colorado Civil Rights Division. The agency could investigate, try to resolve cases through mediation, and, if necessary, allow a case to move into court. The proposal covers claims tied to legally protected characteristics — or even the perception that someone belongs to one of those groups. The categories aren’t new. They’re the same ones already written into Colorado’s civil rights law — race, ...
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Supreme Court Petition Targets Washington Law Allowing Gender Treatments Without Parental Consent
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Just The News, Approved, National

Supreme Court Petition Targets Washington Law Allowing Gender Treatments Without Parental Consent

By Greg Piper | Just the News SCOTUS must heed three justices' warnings that lower courts are avoiding "contentious constitutional questions" on parental rights in state-facilitated gender transitions by denying legal standing, wide coalition says. When runaway minors ask for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical interventions to resemble the opposite sex, Washington state not only refers them for potentially irreversible treatment but also does not require parental notification and consent, hides their "location and condition" and unilaterally decides "reunification" conditions, a lawsuit alleges. According to the historically overturned 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, parents cannot challenge the Evergreen State's laws in court bec...
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Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver Public School Board President Xóchitl Gaytán has been working with immigration advocacy groups to create a set of policy changes that would add further protections for undocumented students. However, some community members believe the proposal goes too far. For Gaytán, protecting undocumented students is personal. "I am the only board member on the DPS board of education that has a lived experience as being someone who is undocumented for half of her life," said Gaytán. Therefore, for me, this issue is something that I have deep ties with." Which is why she's working with immigration groups to propose a new policy that would enhance protections such as establishing safe zones and would not allow any student to be questione...
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Democrat Gov Jared Polis Sees Opportunity in Federal School of Choice Funds
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The 74, Approved, State

Democrat Gov Jared Polis Sees Opportunity in Federal School of Choice Funds

By Kevin Mahnken | The 74 "In Colorado, we trust the parents," Governor Jared Polis. The school choice proponent — and possible 2028 contender — is one of just two Democratic governors opting into a new federal scholarship tax credit. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis may be the Democratic Party’s single most prominent supporter of school choice.  In his life before politics, he co-founded two charter schools in his home state. During his time serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, he authored bipartisan legislation to expand high-performing charters, citing hundreds of thousands of families on waitlists nationwide. And now, in his last year as Colorado’s chief executive, he has even signed on to participate in the Trump admin...
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Parents allege school mistreatment of autistic child as Cherry Creek faces federal civil rights investigation
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Parents allege school mistreatment of autistic child as Cherry Creek faces federal civil rights investigation

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In response to concerns raised by a family in Colorado about the treatment of their young son in kindergarten, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into whether the Cherry Creek School District was in compliance with federal civil rights and special education law, a problem that is not new to the district.  The concern was raised after months of unanswered questions, the parents said. Special Education Changes the Parents Say Were Never Explained Ana and Brandon Lantz’s son started kindergarten in 2023. As time went on in the school year, records indicate that their son received special instruction outside of the general classroom. At first, it was ...
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