{"id":5059,"date":"2026-06-10T21:12:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T21:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=5059"},"modified":"2026-06-10T21:12:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T21:12:25","slug":"cps-ceo-defends-transgender-student-policies-against-attacks-by-house-republicans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=5059","title":{"rendered":"CPS CEO defends transgender student policies against attacks by House Republicans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Republican lawmakers grilled Chicago Public Schools Supt.\/CEO Macquline King about transgender students, religion and sex education as she testified under subpoena Wednesday at a contentious U.S. House education committee hearing.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican chair of the committee, Tim Walberg, came out swinging, accusing King and the other superintendents in attendance of representing school districts with \u201cradical\u201d policies that \u201csideline parents\u201d and \u201ccompromise student privacy rights.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He went so far as to say that some of their practices, such as allowing a transgender girl to sleep in the same room as cisgender girl on an overnight trip, could rise to the level of \u201cchild abuse and neglect.\u201d Advocates for transgender youth say such policies help protect trans students\u2019 privacy and safety.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-b70000\" name=\"image-b70000\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"\/>\n        <picture data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/d90fc71\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F5d%2F493ed7ff4264a53897f99451b129%2Fcpsceo-260611-12.jpg 1x,https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8ea8909\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/1680x1120!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F5d%2F493ed7ff4264a53897f99451b129%2Fcpsceo-260611-12.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NjBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><source width=\"840\" height=\"560\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/9705c3b\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Ff6%2F5d%2F493ed7ff4264a53897f99451b129%2Fcpsceo-260611-12.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NjBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">\n<p>U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican from Michigan, kicked off Wednesday\u2019s hearing by criticizing CPS\u2019 policies for transgender students. He subpoenaed CPS chief Macquline King to appear before the House education committee.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><span class=\"line\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"Figure-credit\">\n<p>Alex Wrobelwski\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lawmakers questioned King about whether she believes that teachers have to disavow their Christian beliefs to teach in CPS and what grade she thinks it is appropriate to start providing condoms to students. To most questions, including those about accommodations for trans students on overnight trips, King flatly told the lawmakers that CPS policies are aligned with Illinois laws.<\/p>\n<p>School leaders and education policy experts nationwide watched the hearing closely, as the Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that run afoul of its interpretation of civil rights laws. The hearing was the first at which K-12 superintendents were questioned during President Donald Trump\u2019s second term about culture-war issues that have dominated right-wing discourse in recent years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"HtmlModule\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"html-embed-module-300000\" name=\"html-embed-module-300000\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"2EcqVktFkNg\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Breaking Trust: Attacks on Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, and Legal Abuses in America\u2019s...\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2EcqVktFkNg?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Trump administration is investigating CPS over its policy that allows transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity, as well as the district\u2019s Black Student Success initiative, which aims to improve the experiences and academic outcomes of Black students.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and other Republicans have said these policies violate federal civil rights laws because they discriminate against students who are cisgender and who aren\u2019t Black.<\/p>\n<p>King had to walk a tightrope. <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wbez.org\/education\/2026\/06\/09\/chicago-public-schools-ceo-macquline-king-heading-to-dc-hearing-transgender-and-black-students\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"><u>Many Chicago parents, students and community activists have previously demanded<\/u><\/a> CPS enact the policies that the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are now scrutinizing \u2014 and they wanted her to come out in support of them. But King didn\u2019t want to give federal education officials a reason to pull any more funding after the district already lost a $20 million grant <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/chicago.suntimes.com\/education\/2025\/09\/24\/future-of-cps-magnet-school-program-unclear-as-funding-threatened-by-trump-administration\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"><u>over its Black Student Success Plan<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In her opening statement, King said CPS\u2019 diversity \u2014 in culture, language, faith and more \u2014 is a strength, and it drives how the district works to meet students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur classrooms are not homogeneous, they are vibrant communities where students learn alongside peers whose lived experiences may differ from their own,\u201d she said. \u201cThe only way to truly serve a student is to understand and embrace what makes each student and community unique.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-910000\" name=\"image-910000\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"\/>\n        <picture data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/61f0613\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg 1x,https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/f62b0cc\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/1680x1120!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NjBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><source width=\"840\" height=\"560\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2fdee31\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NjBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Macquline King at U.S. House education hearing\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2fdee31\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg 1x,https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/06d505f\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/1680x1120!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg 2x\" width=\"840\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2fdee31\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5472x3648+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F81%2F83%2F2f307a534861946d13bf29736337%2Fcpsceohearing-260611-4.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NjBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">\n<p>CPS CEO Macquline King faced several questions from Republican lawmakers about the school district\u2019s policies for transgender students and its sex ed curriculum.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><span class=\"line\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"Figure-credit\">\n<p>Alex Wroblewski\/For the Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>King appeared alongside the school district leaders from San Francisco and Loudoun County, Virginia, in suburban Washington, D.C. A representative from the National Center for Youth Law, a nonprofit that has defended school districts with policies like the ones at CPS, was also a witness.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, wanted to know whether King and the other two school district leaders tell teachers to \u201clie\u201d to parents about the names their children are using at school. The question appeared to refer to a concern that transgender students could use a name or pronoun other than the one they were given at birth without their parents knowing.<\/p>\n<p>To Foxx\u2019s questions, King said she knows of no instance in which a CPS educator lied to parents, and they wouldn\u2019t be asked to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Before the hearing, CPS parent Mary Kay Devine said she came to the Hill to defend policies that she said have allowed her transgender daughter to have a safe and joyous high school experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHer teachers used her chosen name,\u201d Devine said. \u201cShe landed a female lead in the spring musical, and she used the women\u2019s bathroom without anyone batting an eye. In fact, her classmates cared a lot more about their grades and honors stats than about her gender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Devine urged Congress to do its job, and she said she will do her job raising her children.<\/p>\n<p>At the hearing, Democrats on the committee tried to bring the conversation back to bread-and-butter education issues. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, a Democrat from Connecticut and a school teacher, criticized the purpose of the hearing and told the superintendents not to get sucked into \u201cculture war\u201d issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour job is to create places where children can learn,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had zero hearings, not one in this Congress or the last, on school shootings that are killing children in our classrooms. Zero hearings on chronic absenteeism. Zero hearings on the mental health crisis that we\u2019re facing.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"Enhancement\" data-align-center=\"\">\n<div class=\"Enhancement-item\" data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\">\n<figure class=\"Figure\"><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"image-630000\" name=\"image-630000\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"\/>\n        <picture data-crop=\"large-2x1-notfixed\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/a9f6eb0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/840x630!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg 1x,https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/8db82d1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/1680x1260!\/format\/webp\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg 2x\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI2MzBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><source width=\"840\" height=\"630\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/52ed6c9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/840x630!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI2MzBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez held a press conference to support Macquline King before the Congressional hearing.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/52ed6c9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/840x630!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg 1x,https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/2bb7507\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/1680x1260!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg 2x\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/52ed6c9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5712x4284+0+0\/resize\/840x630!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F59%2Fc9%2F5536199e4fb0838624b6c7d42f97%2Fimg-2807.jpeg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI2MzBweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\"\/><\/p>\n<\/picture>\n<div class=\"Figure-content\"><figcaption class=\"Figure-caption\">\n<p>U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents part of Chicago, held a press conference with students, parents and teachers before Wednesday\u2019s Congressional hearing to voice support for Supt.\/CEO Macquline King.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><span class=\"line\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents part of Chicago and the western suburbs, held a press conference before the hearing. She was surrounded by about two dozen students, parents, teachers and advocates who traveled to Washington, D.C. to show their support for King.<\/p>\n<p>Ramirez called the Republicans who led the hearing bullies. She said the House education committee should be focusing on how to improve schools and find more money to fund them, not on attacking protections for vulnerable students.<\/p>\n<p>She thanked the teachers and students who traveled from Chicago to send a message: \u201cYou will not bully me into not having education. You will not bully me into not being proud of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Taneesha Henderson, a CPS teacher and parent, <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/06\/10\/opinion-chicago-parental-rights-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\"><u>said she came to Washington, D.C<\/u><\/a>. because it was important to defend the district\u2019s Black Student Success Plan. As a teacher who works with special education students, she said she sees students who have a lot of needs \u2014 and Congress should focus on helping them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDistricts are facing budget cuts, staffing shortages, mental health crises and learning gaps,\u201d she said. \u201cWe should be talking about how to save schools, protect positions and support children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back in Chicago, school board members showed a rare display of unity as nearly the entire board \u2014 which has had fierce disagreements over the past two years \u2014 gathered during a break at a regularly scheduled meeting to stand in solidarity with King.<\/p>\n<p>Board President Sean Harden said King \u201cdid a fantastic job\u201d explaining to members of Congress what \u201cour values are as a district\u201d and the policies that are guiding CPS. He said the board has \u201ccomplete confidence\u201d in King.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has shown tremendous leadership,\u201d Harden said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s building community partnerships, advocating for our schools or testifying before Congress as she\u2019s done today, we applaud her unwavering commitment to keeping students and families at the center.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/chicago.suntimes.com\/education\/2026\/06\/10\/what-to-know-as-cps-ceo-macquline-king-prepares-to-testify-before-congress-under-subpoena\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican lawmakers grilled Chicago Public Schools Supt.\/CEO Macquline King about transgender students, religion and sex education as she testified under subpoena Wednesday at a contentious U.S. House education committee hearing. The Republican chair of the committee, Tim Walberg, came out swinging, accusing King and the other superintendents in attendance of representing school districts with \u201cradical\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5060,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-usa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}