Trump administration gives California 60 days to cut gender identity from sex-ed or risk losing federal funding.

Federal Review Challenges California’s Sex Education Curriculum

The Trump administration has issued a 60-day ultimatum to California, demanding the state strip all references to gender identity from its federally funded sex education program or risk the termination of grant funding. The order targets the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a statewide initiative under scrutiny by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Administration for Children and Families (ACF) since March.

According to federal officials, a recent review of PREP’s curriculum found that several lessons and teacher training materials introduced concepts related to transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer identities. The ACF contends that such references to gender ideology fall outside the program’s authorizing statute, which restricts federally funded sex-ed to topics such as abstinence, contraception, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

“The Trump administration will not tolerate the use of federal funds for programs that indoctrinate our children,” said Andrew Gradison, acting Assistant Secretary of the ACF. “The disturbing gender ideology content in California’s PREP materials is both unacceptable and well outside the program’s core purpose.” Gradison emphasized the agency’s commitment to transparency and accountability, insisting that parents should know what is being taught in schools.

Among the materials flagged was a lesson for middle school students that explains transgender and genderqueer identities, telling students, “there are also people who don’t identify as boys or girls, but rather as transgender or gender queer.” High school content delved further into topics such as social and medical transitioning, the meaning of being non-binary, and gender identity as a social status. Teacher training materials also instructed educators to use terms like “cisgender,” “non-binary,” “agender,” and “genderfluid.”

The ACF’s notice to California clarified that while some program content had previously been approved under prior administrations, such approval was an error that exceeded agency authority. “The statute neither requires, supports nor authorizes teaching students that gender identity is distinct from biological sex or that boys can identify as girls and vice versa,” the agency asserted.

California now has 60 days to remove all gender identity references from PREP curricula and resubmit its materials for federal approval. Failure to comply could result in the suspension or termination of the program’s federal grant.

This conflict underscores ongoing debates over the role of federal oversight in education, the boundaries of sex-ed content, and the broader cultural and political divisions over how gender identity is discussed in schools. The outcome may have far-reaching consequences for sex education standards across the country.