Maryland Joins Lawsuit Challenging Federal Sex Education โFunding Restrictions
PORTLAND, Ore. – Maryland is โamong sixteen states and the โคDistrict of Columbia filing aโค lawsuit against the โขU.S. Departmentโข ofโค health andโฃ Human Services (HHS) over its โขattempts to restrict federal funding โfor sexual health education programs. The lawsuit, filed Friday in โfederal court in โขOregon, alleges that HHS is violating federalโ law by threatening to withhold funds from states whose curriculaโค include details โabout diverse gender identities.
The complaint argues thatโ HHS is attempting to force states to “rewrite sexualโข health curricula to eraseโ entire categories ofโ students,”โ characterizing the action as a targeted effort to harm transgenderโค and gender-diverse youth. The states contend that the proposed โconditions โon funding violate federal law,the separation of powers,and โCongress’s authority over spending.
At issueโฃ are grants from the Personal Duty Education Program (PREP)โ and the Title โV Sexual Risk Avoidance Education โ(SRAE) โprogram, which fund programs focused on abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. HHS seeks to โฃprohibit the inclusion of what it defines asโค “gender ideology” in lessons funded byโ these programs.
The lawsuitโฃ follows a warningโฃ issued by HHS โขinโข August, โgiving statesโข 60 โdays to alter their curricula or risk losing PREP funding. California previously received aโฃ similarโ warning โand had its $12 million grant revoked on August 21st.
Accordingโค to the complaint, the potential loss of funding for the plaintiff states could total atโ least $35 million.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown stated that HHS threatened to cancel โคhis state’s PREP grant over curriculum โlanguage stating, “People of all sexual orientationsโ and โgenderโ identities need to know how to prevent pregnancy and STIs, โขeither for themselves or to help a friend.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison echoedโข this sentiment,โฃ stating thatโ the choice between losing funding โฃand excluding โthe transgender community from sexual health education is “unacceptable.”
Oregon, Washington, and โขMinnesota โare leading theโฃ lawsuit. Other plaintiffs include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, โHawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan,โค new โฃJersey, New York, Rhode island, โคand Wisconsin.
HHS has not yet responded to a request for โฃcomment. The lawsuit comes โasโข the current governance has pursued โpolicies recognizingโข individuals as strictlyโข male or female โขsince taking office in January.
This article is based on reporting from The Associatedโ Press.