Education Department Scraps Nonbinary Student Data From Civil Rights Survey
The Trump administration's Education Department has scrubbed data on nonbinary students and gender-based bullying from the federal Civil Rights Data Collection survey, affecting nearly every public school in the nation. This action removes information about harassment experiences and school policies…
Houston, TX, September 4, 2026 — The U.S. Education Department under the Trump administration has removed data concerning nonbinary students and gender-based bullying from the federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) survey. This decision impacts nearly every public school across the nation, effectively eliminating information previously gathered on student experiences with harassment and school policies related to gender identity.
The Civil Rights Data Collection survey is a comprehensive, state-level data collection program that provides the U.S. Department of Education with information on key education and civil rights issues. The data collected is used to inform policy and identify areas where compliance with federal civil rights laws may be an issue.
The removal of questions pertaining to nonbinary students and gender-based bullying means that critical information regarding the experiences of these students will no longer be systematically documented at the federal level. This includes details on harassment incidents and the types of policies schools have in place to address issues of gender identity among their student populations.
The CRDC survey is typically conducted every two years, collecting data from all public schools and school districts. The scope of its reach means that the omission of this specific data will have a widespread effect on the availability of national statistics related to LGBTQ+ students and issues of gender discrimination in schools.
Officials stated that the data removal was part of an effort to streamline the survey and focus on core civil rights issues. However, privacy advocates and educators have expressed concern that the absence of this data could make it more difficult to identify and address instances of discrimination and bullying faced by nonbinary students, potentially hindering efforts to ensure safe and inclusive learning environments for all students.
The contractor’s name responsible for implementing these changes was not provided in the summary. Similarly, the exact timeline for when these specific questions were removed or if they had been previously collected was not detailed. The fine amounts for non-compliance with civil rights regulations were also not provided as this action pertains to data collection, not enforcement of existing violations.
Story summarized from the original created by Sharon Lurye And Annie Ma, Associated Press on www.click2houston.com, see more information here.
