The U.S. Department of Justice has launched investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts to determine whether they are teaching lessons related to sexual orientation and gender identity in pre-K through 12th grade classrooms, the agency said Thursday in a news release.
The probes, led by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, will examine whether schools included such material in coursework and how it was implemented, according to a news release from the DOJ. Federal officials are also reviewing whether districts followed policies related to parental notification and student rights tied to the instruction.
“This Department of Justice is determined to put an end to local school authorities keeping parents in the dark about how sexuality and gender ideology are being pushed in classrooms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Supreme Court precedent leaves no doubt: parents have the fundamental right and primary authority to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. This includes exempting their children from ideological instruction that contradicts their values or decisions about their children’s health and best interests.”
All of the other school districts included the DOJ probe are:
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