Latest news with #LindaMcMahon
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mahmoud v Taylor: Supreme Court rules Maryland students can opt out of LGBTQ-themed classes, Trump admin says 'big win'
Supreme court ruled in favor of religion and said Maryland students can't be forced to read books with gay, transgender characters. The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Maryland parents can pull their children from lessons that cover LGBTQ-themed topics. The Trump administration called it a major win as the administration favored for religious liberty, parental rights against forced LGBTQ lessons. "The Court rightfully held that schools can't shut parents out or disregard their religious obligations to their children. A great day for parents and education champions!" education secretary Linda McMahon said. What is the Mahmoud v Taylor case? In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland introduced supplemental LGBTQ-themed books for kindergarten through 5th grade, first offering parents the option to opt out. In March 2023, MCPS ended the opt-out, citing administrative burden and concerns over stigmatizing LGBTQ students. One book, Uncle Bobby's Wedding, features a gay character who is getting married, while another, Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, is about a transgender child. A coalition of Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christian parents filed suit, claiming the no-opt-out policy burdened their religious rights. The Montgomery Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools released a joint statement on today's US Supreme Court decision: "Today's decision is not the outcome we hoped for or worked toward. It marks a significant challenge for public education nationwide. In Montgomery County Public Schools, we will determine next steps and navigate this moment with integrity and purpose—guided, as always, by our shared values of learning, relationships, respect, excellence, and equity." Several conservative justices, including Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, expressed sympathy in April 2025 towards the parents and ultimately leaned towards requiring schools to give parents an opt-out. However, no decision was made then, and the high court decided to push an official ruling to June.
Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
AI in the classroom takes off with no guardrails
The push to prepare kids for the AI future is raising tricky ethical questions about how to bring the technology into the classroom. At stake: AI can make teaching more effective and prepare the next generation's workers, but there are mounting concerns over its impact on kids' emotional health and development. Getting AI into schools is such an imperative that President Donald Trump issued an executive order in April to promote AI literacy in schools, focusing particularly on K-12 students. The issue of AI in schools even became a meme after Education Secretary Linda McMahon mistakenly called the tech 'A1' – the steak sauce brand – in a gaffe. The conversation over the merits of AI in education is happening as the technology rapidly makes its way into school districts. A Gallup poll released Wednesday reports that more than a quarter of K-12 teachers already have their students using AI learning systems. The breakneck speed of adoption is even concerning proponents of the technology. 'Are we essentially condoning and accelerating our path towards this world where students are just starved of human interaction?' said Alex Kotran, who has introduced AI into hundreds of schools as CEO of The AI Education Project, a nonprofit funded by the likes of OpenAI and Nvidia. 'By foisting more AI companions on them in the form of, let's say, AI tutors, do we normalize it?' Early research shows that AI has a lot to offer for schooling. A 2023 study found the technology can provide students with more tailored instruction and feedback, and the United Nations suggested in 2021 that AI chatbots could be a 24/7 personalized educational resource for students when teachers are off the clock. It was in that positive spirit that Trump issued an April executive order to increase AI in the classroom. The order created an Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force assigned to establish plans for a nationwide 'challenge' highlighting applications of AI in schools by July, and to identify federal AI resources to support state educational agencies. The order also sets July deadlines for the Department of Education to set grant guidelines for providing AI resources to students. The White House said that with the order, 'we can ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn about AI from the earliest stages of their educational journey.' It came as some of the country's largest public school districts – including those in Miami, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia – have moved to introduce AI chatbots to their K-12 students. At the same time, evidence is emerging that AI could wreak havoc on a young person's mental health. The American Psychological Association warned in a health advisory that AI may impair adolescents' ability to distinguish between human and simulated empathy, and affect their real-world relationships. Several high-profile lawsuits also accuse AI chatbots of leading kids to harm themselves, including a case alleging that a 14-year-old boy died by suicide as a result of his relationship with a bot. Sam Hiner, who is developing an autonomous math tutor as the founder of the AI company EdEngage, told DFD it's important that AI educational programs don't say they're proud of a student or otherwise emulate humans. 'You're attributing an emotional state to the AI that the user is going to naturally want to build a connection with, especially if you're a child and your brain is still developing,' said Hiner, who also co-founded the kids advocacy group Young People's Alliance that has pushed for restrictions on minors' access to AI. He said he worried that connections with AI may supplant those with teachers, a foundational relationship for students' well-being. Robbie Torney, a director of Common Sense Media's AI education programs, adds that the technology's mental health risks can vary depending on the age of the student. 'The risk of parasocial relationships with technology … do tend to increase as kids get younger,' said Torney, pointing to a study showing that children between the ages of 5 and 7 are more likely to form emotional attachments to smart speakers. Neither the Department of Education nor the White House's Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force responded to DFD's inquiries about their progress on carrying out the executive order and whether they were seeking to mitigate safety risks. Torney notes that many schools may be unprepared to safely manage federally supported AI adoption. Eighty percent of educators say their districts do not have policies for responsible use of the technology. 'That means the districts or schools haven't necessarily conducted AI assessments for thinking about how it's actually being used,' he said. Such policies could be crucial, given the AI education sector itself is largely unregulated. Forbes reported that some of the most popular and highly valued AI tutors generated unhealthy diet advice for teens and pick-up artist tips. The AI Education Project's Kotran said that, absent regulation, there's no 'top-down' way to ensure that schools are minimizing safety risks when procuring AI tools. 'It's still the Wild West,' he said. 'Each district is figuring this out for themselves.' Government workers are slowly warming to AI American government employees are notably more bearish on AI than the global average for all professionals, according to results from a 2,275-person survey Thomson Reuters published Thursday. In an interview with DFD, Reuters CEO Steve Hasker highlighted the disparity as being particularly noteworthy: While 80 percent of respondents overall thought AI would have a transformative impact on their work over the next five years, only 64 percent of U.S. government employees agreed. Hasker partly attributed the gap to private companies having more obvious metrics for measuring the success of their AI applications, such as revenue. 'The impact of AI on commercial enterprises, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, is probably better understood than the impact on mission-driven organizations,' he told DFD. However, Hasker asserted that AI's impact on processing backlogs of court cases and immigration applications could be a good starting place for governments to measure the effectiveness of the technology. 'There is a push for greater tech adoption to drive efficiency and to get a better return from taxpayers' dollars,' he said. To be sure, these employees aren't completely resistant to AI. Reuters provided additional data to DFD showing that only 1 percent of U.S. government workers believe their department is adopting AI too quickly – 63 percent are satisfied with the current speed, while 36 percent think it is too slow. Labor's fights with big tech are heating up Three bills in California are setting the stage for a showdown between tech companies and workers this summer, our colleagues at POLITICO's California Decoded report. Major labor groups like the Service Employees International Union squared off this week with Silicon Valley lobbyists in making their case on the issues to the state's labor committees. Two of the bills concern the use of technology in the workplace. Introduced in February, SB442 sets staffing levels for stores that have self-checkout. The kiosks have been promoted as a way to cut down on labor costs, but unions argue this hasn't led to lower prices for consumer products. Another bill, SB7, limits employers' ability to use tracking systems to monitor their workers. The third bill, AB1340, would give gig economy drivers collective bargaining rights. The Decoded team notes that labor groups have generally been successful in pushing for legislation this year, but that Big Tech still has plenty of opportunities to shut such efforts down. The gig economy bill is a reminder of a fight over a law California passed in 2019, which partly classified rideshare and delivery drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. Tech industry groups poured more than $200 million to pass a proposition that ultimately eroded it a year later. post of the day THE FUTURE IN 5 LINKS Stay in touch with the whole team: Aaron Mak (amak@ Mohar Chatterjee (mchatterjee@ Steve Heuser (sheuser@ Nate Robson (nrobson@ and Daniella Cheslow (dcheslow@
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump administration demands California bar trans girls from girls sports
The Trump administration warned California to revise its policies that allow transgender girls to compete in school sports aligned with their gender identity. Citing a violation of Title IX, the US Department of Education said the state has ten days to comply or face enforcement action, including potential referral to the US Justice Department. The warning follows recent controversy over a transgender high school athlete's performance. In its findings, the federal education agency stated that California's Department of Education and its high school athletics governing body are violating Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational programs receiving federal aid. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the administration is committed to 'relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls.' She also cited remarks made by Governor Gavin Newsom in March questioning the fairness of trans girls competing in girls' sports. The Education Department said that unless California reverses course, it could lose federal funding. It further demanded that state officials apologise to female athletes who lost titles to trans competitors and notify all school athletic programmes receiving federal funds that Title IX bars trans girls from participating in girls' sports. Title IX ensures fair treatment and equal opportunity for girls and women in education and sports! #TitleIXMonth — U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) June 25, 2025 California officials, however, have no plans to alter existing protections. Liz Sanders, spokesperson for the California Department of Education, stated: 'We believe all students should have the opportunity to learn and play at school, and we have consistently applied existing law in support of students' rights to do so.' Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Governor Newsom, dismissed the threat as 'dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality,' calling the Education Department's letter 'a political document designed to intimidate school officials and unlawfully override well-established state laws protecting students.' The federal government's findings come in the wake of a state championship in which transgender student AB Hernandez won top positions in the girls' high jump and triple jump events. In an unprecedented move, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) also awarded medals to runners-up who would have placed had Hernandez not participated. The father of a transgender student-athlete in San Luis Obispo County, called the federal move another example of bullying by the administration. 'This really isn't about sports and locker rooms. This is about erasing transgender individuals altogether,' he said, as per AP. His daughter, a rising high school junior, has been on the girls' track team since freshman year and has mainly received support from within the school. The standoff is allegedly part of a larger nationwide effort by the Trump administration to restrict transgender rights. However, California law allows students to participate in sex-segregated programs, including sports and bathroom use, based on their gender identity. In February, Trump had also signed an executive order banning trans women and girls from participating in sports teams that match their gender identity. (With inputs from AP)
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Newsom's office ripped for mocking Sec. McMahon's trans athlete warning with WWE bodyslam clip
Print Close By Jackson Thompson Published June 25, 2025 California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office made light of U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announcing the state had violated Title IX by allowing trans athletes to compete in girls sports with a controversial social media post on Wednesday. Just hours after McMahon's announcement of the violations and an ultimatum of 10 days for the state to amend its policies, Newsom's press office X account mocked McMahon with an old clip of her being body-slammed during a WWE skit. The clip was of current Knox County Mayor Glenn Thomas Jacobs, also known as "Kane," hitting McMahon with move known as the "tombstone piledriver" during an episode of "Monday Night Raw" in the early 2000s. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON McMahon, as the wife of WWE founder Vince McMahon, has been heavily involved in the wrestling entertainment product for decades. She even led the WWE organization as CEO. However, Newsom's office making light of the Title IX violation announcement with a clip of McMahon's WWE past prompted severe backlash. Many critics pointed out that the clips depicts a man physically overpowering a woman, which is often centered as one of the most common arguments against letting biological males compete in girls and women's sports. "So a man easily destroying a woman is how you want to relay that boys belong in girls sports?" one X user wrote. Another critical user wrote, "Thanks for proving our point. Men are stronger than women. I can't believe you actually posted this display of male violence." Several prominent women's rights activists and groups made separate posts speaking out against Newsom's office over the joke. WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PROBE OF SJSU TRANS ATHLETE ALLEGEDLY CONSPIRING TO HARM TEAMMATE McMahon said in an appearance on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday that California would be at risk of losing its federal funding for its K-12 schools if the requirements are not met. A press release by the U.S. Department of Education states that California's high school sports league, the CIF and the California Department of Education (CDE) have 10 days to amend their policy or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice. Newsom responded to the Education Department later Wednesday. "It wouldn't be a day ending in 'Y' without the Trump Administration threatening to defund California. Now Secretary McMahon is confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality. This won't stick," Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News Digital. The CIF said it didn't comment on legal matters. "The California Department of Education believes all students should have the opportunity to learn and play at school, and we have consistently applied existing law in support of students' rights to do so," Liz Sanders, director of communications at the California Department of Education, told Fox News Digital. Newsom previously talked about transgender participation in girls sports back in March with prominent conservative Charlie Kirk. "The young man who's about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn't happen," Kirk said. "You, as the governor, should step out and say no. Would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female sports?" CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it's deeply unfair," Newsom told Kirk. "I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you." Kirk pressed Newsom on whether he would condemn the athlete in question from Jurupa Valley High School after the athlete won another event at the time. Newsom did not directly address the win but said, "It's a fairness issue." "So, that's easy to call out the unfairness of that," he said. "There's also a humility and a grace. … These poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression. And the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities is an issue that I have a hard time with as well. "So, both things I can hold in my hand. How can we address this issue with the kind of decency that I think, you know, is inherent in you but not always expressed on the issue?" Fox News Digital's Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
California violated Title IX by allowing trans athletes on girls teams, Trump administration says
The Trump administration has found that the California department of education and the state's high school sports federation violated civil rights law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams. The federal education department announced the finding Wednesday and proposed a resolution that would require California to bar transgender women from women's sports and strip transgender athletes of records, titles and awards. It's the latest escalation in the Republican administration's effort to bar transgender athletes from women's sports teams nationwide. If California rejects the proposal, the education department could move to terminate the state's federal education funding. 'The Trump administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,' Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said. 'The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow. Title IX is a 1972 law forbidding sex discrimination in education. California education and sports officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. Federal officials opened an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation in February after the organization said it would abide by a state law allowing athletes to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity. That followed an executive order signed by Donald Trump that was intended to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports. In April, McMahon's department opened an investigation into the California department of education over the same issue. Both investigations concluded that state policies violated Title IX. The administration has been invoking the law in its campaign against transgender athletes, launching scores of investigations into schools, colleges and states. It's a reversal from the Joe Biden administration, which attempted to expand Title IX to provide protections for transgender students. A federal judge struck down the expansion before Trump took office in January. The administration's proposed resolution would require California to notify schools that transgender athletes should be barred from girls athletic teams and that all schools must 'adopt biology-based definitions of the words 'male' and 'female''. The state would also have to notify schools that any conflicting interpretation of state law would be considered a violation of Title IX. Athletes who lost awards, titles or records to transgender athletes would have their honors restored under the proposal, and the state would be required to send personal apology letters to those athletes. A similar resolution was offered to Maine's education agency in a separate clash with the administration over transgender athletes. Maine rejected the proposal in April, prompting a justice department lawsuit seeking to terminate the state's federal education funding. Under federal guidelines, California's education office and the sports federation have 10 days to come into compliance or risk enforcement action. The federation separately tested a pilot policy at a state track meet in May, allowing one extra competitor in three events featuring high school junior AB Hernandez, who is trans. The organization announced the change after Trump took to social medial to criticize Hernandez's participation. The justice department said it would investigate Hernandez's district and the state to determine if Title IX was being violated.
