FIRST ON FOX: A conservative legal group is calling on the Trump administration to investigate a Rhode Island school district over a policy that allegedly allows school officials to facilitate students' gender transitions behind their parents' backs, accusing the district of violating multiple federal civil rights laws.

America First Legal (AFL) filed a formal complaint Tuesday with the Justice Department and Department of Education targeting Westerly Public Schools in Westerly, Rhode Island, over a transgender student policy adopted in 2017.

"Westerly Public Schools' policy blatantly violates federal law, tramples on parents' rights, and embraces radical gender ideology," Ian Prior, senior counsel at America First Legal, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Male students claiming to be female receive every privilege while actual female students are shoved aside. AFL is calling on the Department of Justice and the Department of Education to step in and hold WPS accountable."

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The complaint from America First Legal alleges that Westerly Public Schools' transgender student policy, adopted in 2017, allows school officials to facilitate students' gender transitions, including changes to names, pronouns and school records, without parental notification or consent. The group also alleges the policy permits students to use bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in sports based on their gender identity rather than biological sex, while requiring students who object to seek separate accommodations.

The policy defines "Gender Identity" as "a person's deeply held sense or psychological knowledge of their own gender. One's gender identity can be the same or different than the gender assigned at birth. Most people have a gender identity that matches their assigned gender at birth. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their assigned gender."

The guidance for secondary students reads, "Generally, notification to a student's parent(s)/guardian(s) about their gender identity, expression, or transition is unnecessary, as they are already aware and supportive. However, some transgender students do not want their parents to know about their transgender status. These situations must be addressed on a case-by-case basis and require schools to balance the goal of supporting the student with the desire that parents be kept informed about their children."

It continues, "In these circumstances, school administration should ask the superintendent for direction on how to proceed. If the administration determines that notifying the family carries risks for the student, it should work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the family will be involved in the process and must consider the age, health, well-being and safety of the student."

America First Legal alleges the district's policy violates multiple federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), by withholding information about students' gender transitions from parents, and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), by allowing certain student evaluations without parental consent.

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The group also argues the policy violates Title IX by permitting students to use bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in sports based on gender identity rather than biological sex, potentially compromising female students' privacy, safety and athletic opportunities, and is urging the Trump administration to investigate the district, require changes to its policies and ensure compliance with federal law, including parental notification requirements.

The complaint marks the latest effort by America First Legal to challenge school policies it argues infringe on parental rights. The group previously developed resources in 2022 to help parents use the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) to hold schools accountable. AFL pointed to a recent Trump administration lawsuit against Kansas City Public Schools in Kansas over allegations involving undisclosed student gender transitions and violations of FERPA and the PPRA, saying it is seeking a similar outcome in Westerly.

The Department of Education told Fox News Digital that it does not confirm complaints.

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A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital in a statement that, "The Department has received the complaint and will review it. As a matter of policy, the Department does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing Title IX and to protecting the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children."

Fox News Digital reached out to Westerly Public Schools for comment.

IIT JAM 2027 registration deadline has been extended to October 24, 2026, for the final time. Candidates can check the application process, fees and important instructions here.

The Centre of Excellence will focus on wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and AI-driven communication systems.

GIFT City and IIM Bangalore have launched the GIFT Finance Olympiad 2026, a national case challenge for postgraduate students. The online submission deadline is October 31.

Voters across the country are making big decisions about the education of their children at a local, state and federal level in this year’s midterms. Ballot initiatives, school board elections, governor’s races and Senate spots are all on the line as parents head to the polls thinking about AI, school choice and what topics should…

Voters across the country are making big decisions about the education of their children at a local, state and federal level in this year’s midterms. Ballot initiatives, school board elections, governor’s races and Senate spots are all on the line as parents head to the polls thinking about AI, school choice and what topics should…

The European Parliament voted on Thursday, 22nd October, to support a €47.4 billion budget for the Erasmus+ programme between 2028 and 2034, demanding substantially more funding than proposed by the European Commission.

The parliamentary position was approved by 454 votes to 34, with 93 abstentions, following negotiations over the future of the EU’s principal education, training and student mobility programme.

MEPs are seeking approximately €6.56 billion more than the Commission’s proposed €40.83 billion allocation, arguing that existing financial support does not adequately reflect rising living costs and the expense of studying abroad.

The decision establishes Parliament’s negotiating position but does not represent final approval of the funding. The programme remains subject to negotiations with national governments and agreement on the EU’s next seven-year budget.

Rising living costs affect student mobility

Erasmus+ allows students, apprentices, teachers and other participants to study, train or gain professional experience in another participating country.

Although widely associated with university exchanges, the programme also supports vocational education, schools, adult learning, youth organisations and sporting activities.

Participation often involves substantial personal expenditure, particularly for accommodation, transport and everyday living expenses.

These costs vary considerably between European destinations, creating financial difficulties for students whose Erasmus grants cover only part of their expenses.

The European Parliament is consequently calling for support mechanisms that account for differences in housing and living costs between host countries, regions and cities.

The proposal is intended to make participation more accessible to people who cannot rely on additional financial assistance from their families.

The European Parliament’s research service has identified unequal access, financial limitations and administrative complexity among the challenges facing the programme.

The proposed legislation would also establish a target under which at least 20 per cent of participants in mobility activities would be people facing fewer educational or economic opportunities.

Parliament seeks larger education allocation

The parliamentary proposal provides for approximately €47.39 billion in current prices over seven years.

The Commission originally proposed approximately €40.83 billion, combining funding for Erasmus+ with activities currently administered through the European Solidarity Corps.

According to the report prepared by Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education, the revised programme would include more explicit financial allocations for different activities.

Education and training would account for approximately 74.6 per cent of the proposed financial envelope, while youth and volunteering would receive around 15 per cent. Sport would receive approximately 4.1 per cent.

The proposed allocation structure is intended to provide greater certainty for organisations planning longer-term educational projects and cross-border partnerships.

Polish MEP Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, of the European People’s Party, is Parliament’s rapporteur on the legislation. His report calls for greater transparency over expenditure and more predictable funding arrangements.

The programme would continue supporting European university alliances, international educational cooperation and initiatives intended to improve professional skills.

Volunteering and vocational training

One proposed change concerns the integration of the European Solidarity Corps into the wider Erasmus+ framework.

The Solidarity Corps currently offers young people opportunities to participate in volunteering and community activities, including projects addressing social and humanitarian needs.

The Commission has proposed bringing these activities within the new programme in an attempt to simplify administration.

However, parliamentarians want safeguards to ensure that volunteering remains identifiable and accessible within the broader funding structure.

The parliamentary position also seeks to extend mobility opportunities across vocational training, adult education and sport.

These activities would allow a wider range of participants to benefit from international placements, including people outside conventional university education.

Additional attention is being given to the financial circumstances of participants and the administrative requirements faced by smaller educational organisations.

Dispute over the EU’s next budget

The Erasmus+ negotiations are taking place against the background of a wider dispute over the European Union’s 2028–2034 financial framework.

Member states are debating the overall size of the budget and the competing demands of agricultural policy, regional development, defence, research and education.

As EU Today recently examined, the negotiations have exposed disagreements over whether the EU should expand its financial commitments or constrain expenditure during a period of pressure on national finances.

Parliament’s Erasmus+ proposal will therefore depend not only on agreement over educational priorities but also on the final distribution of resources across the wider EU budget.

Some governments may support broader participation while resisting the full increase requested by MEPs.

What happens next?

Negotiations must establish the programme’s final budget, eligibility rules and the arrangements governing grants after 2027.

The Council has already developed a negotiating position on aspects of the programme, although financial questions remain connected to the broader budget settlement.

Erasmus+ will mark its 40th anniversary in 2027, shortly before the new framework is scheduled to begin.

More than 17 million people have participated in the programme and its related activities since its establishment.

The outcome of the current negotiations will determine whether the next generation of participants receives more financial support and whether the programme can expand without increasing the proportion of costs borne by students and their families.

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A Scottish museum is under fire for removing a mummy due to a lack of consent.

The post Museum Under Fire for Removing Mummy Due to Lack of Consent appeared first on Breitbart.

Australian of the Year would become the first astronaut in space to qualify under the Australian flag if she embarks on the 2028 mission

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The federal government has sent an offer to the European Space Agency (ESA) to send the Australian of the Year, astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, to the International Space Station.

The mission, slated for 2028, will mark the first time a qualified astronaut has flown to space under the Australian flag.

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© Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

For decades, federal Pell Grants have helped millions of students from low- and middle-income families afford college. Now, for the first time, that financial aid will also be available for short-term vocational training programs designed to help students enter the workforce. Stephanie Sy reports on the rollout of Workforce Pell for our series, Rethinking College.