CPS CEO faces congressional scrutiny over transgender student policies
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CPS CEO Macquline King at a budget townhall last year in the Roosevelt High School gym. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
CPS CEO Macquline King faced sharp questioning Wednesday before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and Workforce over the district's diversity initiatives and policies related to transgender students.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has opened investigations into CPS and threatened to withhold federal funding over allegations that the district's policies violate federal law.
Context: King had declined requests to appear before the committee before being subpoenaed in May, according to the committee.
The latest: The hearing, which included superintendents from Virginia and San Francisco, focused on transgender student policies, parental notification and school diversity initiatives.
- Committee Chair Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) opened the hearing by criticizing the witnesses' approaches to transgender student policies and asked King whether Christian teachers would have to renounce their faith to teach in the district.
Zoom in: Republicans questioned King on curriculum, field trip policies, parental notification practices related to gender identity, sex education, abortion and political activism in schools.
- One Republican lawmaker suggested students who transition may later regret their decisions and argued school districts could face future legal liability.
The other side: Democrats called the hearing a political circus and questioned why the committee was not instead focused on issues such as gun violence, student mental health and immigration enforcement's impact on schools.
- There were no members of Chicago's congressional delegation present, yet the delegation entered a letter into the Congressional Record condemning the hearing.
Friction point: Rep. Mary Miller repeatedly accused CPS of withholding information from parents about students' gender identity, while King denied the allegation and said the district complies with local, state and federal law.
- Miller: "Why is CPS violating FERPA by socially transitioning children without parental knowledge or consent?"
- King: "I want to say first that we, Chicago Public Schools, value parents' input, and they are critical in the success of their children..."
- Miller: "...But hiding things from parents is not valuing the parents."
- King: "We do not..."
- Miller: "Please answer the question."
- King: "I do agree that parents should have access ... they always have access to their students' records, and they ...are able to talk to their teachers, administrators. We do not hide information."
Miller continued to attack King over CPS policies surrounding same sex bathrooms.
- King: "CPS is in compliance with all local, state, and binding federal law."
- Miller: "It's a fact that you are hiding materials from the parents, and you're going to have to answer for your FERPA violations."
The bottom line: While lawmakers spent hours debating transgender student policies, King said the concerns she hears most from parents involve potential classroom cuts.