Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized what he called a "pandemic" of "secret" gender transitions in U.S. schools during a Fox News interview. His remarks followed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, which the government described as a "first-of-its-kind" legal action. The lawsuit claims the school district allowed students to transition socially—such as using a new name or pronouns—without informing their parents. The district has denied any wrongdoing, stating it is in compliance with federal laws. Blanche argued that no parent would want their child's school to change their name or refer to them by a different gender without their knowledge. He called the phenomenon a "trend and really pandemic" in some school districts, though no national data exists on how many districts have such policies. According to the conservative group Defending Education, more than 1,200 school districts allow staff to keep a student’s transgender status hidden from parents. Meanwhile, a 2025 report from the Williams Institute at UCLA estimated that about 3.3% of U.S. youth, or about 724,000 people, identify as transgender—more than double the rate among adults. The Trump administration has implemented several policies aimed at countering what it calls "radical gender ideology," including efforts to restrict access to medical treatments for transgender youth. These actions have drawn criticism from advocacy groups and families of transgender children, who argue that the measures are harmful and based on misinformation. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that schools are performing "brutal" gender-related procedures on children without parental consent. In a 2024 campaign speech, he described the idea of a child returning home after such an operation as "unimaginable." The issue of transgender children has become a highly polarizing topic in the U.S., with significant differences in public opinion based on political affiliation. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support teaching about gender identity and providing access to medical treatments like puberty blockers. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 56% of Americans oppose healthcare providers offering gender transition-related care to minors. The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools focuses on social transitions, not medical procedures, and claims the district violated federal privacy laws such as FERPA and PPRA. The department argues that parents have a right to be informed about their child’s education, including any changes in gender identity. The school district has disputed these claims, saying it is following the law and will address the lawsuit through legal channels.