Trump's week in review: Stops gain-of-function research, opens 'MyGender' dolls investigation

5. Education Dept. investigates Minnesota schools over ‘MyGender Dolls’ 

In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into the Minnesota Department of Education following reports about the state making “MyGender Dolls” available to children as young as 4 years old.

As explained by the U.S. Department of Education, “The dolls — developed via a taxpayer-funded University of Minnesota program — feature removable, interchangeable internal and external genitalia, gender-neutral names, and clothing (including undergarments) for both sexes.”

The Department characterized the use of “MyGenderDolls” in Minnesota classrooms as a potential violation of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which “guarantees parents the right to opt their children out of surveys that elicit certain sensitive information about students or their families, and to review related instructional materials.”

The Department noted that violations of PPRA can result in a loss of federal funding. 

“While Governor [Tim] Walz and the radical left continue to funnel taxpayer dollars to perverted ideologies that can harm children, the Trump Administration is fighting to protect children’s innocence and defend parents’ role as the first and primary decision-makers in their child’s education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “No 4-year-old should be exposed to such material – especially without a parent’s knowledge or consent.”

McMahon vowed that her department “will enforce the law to its fullest extent, putting parents and families firmly in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.”