Local mother reacts to federal investigation into school districts

SANTA FE, N.M. – A Santa Fe mother says she feels relieved federal authorities are now investigating both Santa Fe Public Schools and Albuquerque Public Schools over gender identity policies for students and parents’ access to information.

The U.S. Department of Education reported this week it has opened investigations into both districts and whether their policies violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.

The districts could potentially lose federal funding based on the results of this investigation.

Kristy Borrego Ojinaga says last year she became concerned about potentially confusing information being taught to her 6-year-old daughter at a Santa Fe elementary school. 

We are not naming the school, per her request, but she claims a districtwide, K-12 policy kept her in the dark over what her daughter was learning about pronouns, gender transitioning, and more.

She also noted one of her daughter’s classmates was transitioning from a boy to a girl and using the girls’ restroom, yet the school seemingly didn’t believe it had to disclose that information.

“We were told it was none of our business. And that did not sit well with us. And that’s when I started to learn more about these gender support plans,” she told KOB 4.

Eventually, she says the backlash became so bad her daughter didn’t want to go to school anymore and she decided to pull all her children from the public school system.

She says there is a major difference in what a 6-year-old understands versus what a high school senior would be able to comprehend, but SFPS wasn’t reportedly open to having that discussion with her.

“There’s no such thing as age appropriateness anymore. They just expect these kids to deal with these adult problems and adult concepts,” she said.

For now, the plan is to continue to homeschool her children until she feels comfortable she’s being told what her children are learning in the classroom.

While the U.S. Department of Education hasn’t yet reached out to her for more information to assist in their investigation, Ojinaga says she is willing to work with them if/when they do come to her.

“We should not have policies that violate our parental rights. Period. No school, no advocacy group should dictate what I’m allowed to know about my 6-year-old child,” said Ojinaga.

She also told KOB 4 she believes that the issue isn’t just contained to larger school districts like SPFS and APS.

“I think there are many more districts here that need to be investigated. I sounded the alarm about these policies that violated parental rights over six months ago,” she said.

SFPS responded to KOB 4, writing:

“Santa Fe Public Schools remains committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful learning environment where every student feels valued and supported.

At this time, Santa Fe Public Schools has not been contacted by the U.S. Department of Education regarding the announced investigation. Should we receive an official inquiry, we will respond appropriately and cooperate with the process.

We recognize and respect the essential role parents and guardians play in their children’s lives and education. Our district policies and procedures reflect that commitment, including requiring parental involvement and consent for changes to a student’s name or gender marker in our official student information system.

We remain committed to following applicable state and federal laws while fostering strong partnerships between our schools and families. Our focus continues to be on what matters most: supporting our students, partnering with families, and creating schools where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.”

Additionally, a spokesperson for Albuquerque Public Schools responded with the following statement:

“APS policies and procedures adhere to FERPA guidelines. We have been notified of the investigation and will respond through the appropriate channels.”

The post Local mother reacts to federal investigation into school districts appeared first on KOB 4.