Trump Administration Issues 60-Day Compliance Deadline
NORTH CAROLINA — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has ordered the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate all references to gender identity from federally-funded sex education materials within 60 days, according to an announcement from the NC Values Coalition.
The directive affects North Carolina’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a federal initiative established in 2009 to educate adolescents about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention.
State Faces Enforcement Actions for Non-Compliance
North Carolina has until October 27, 2025, to submit modified program materials for ACF approval or face potential enforcement actions. The federal agency recently terminated California’s PREP grant after that state failed to comply with similar removal requests.
“We applaud the Trump administration for its steadfast commitment to protecting children from the harms of gender ideology in our public schools,” said Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of NC Values Coalition. “Children go to school to learn – not to be indoctrinated with harmful ideas that many parents object to.”
Disputed Educational Content Under Review
According to NC Values Coalition, examples of content targeted for removal include:
- Defining male and female as “what the doctor said they were when they were born” while presenting alternative gender identities as equally valid
- Materials stating that people often recognize their gender identity before kindergarten
- Instructions for teachers to use terms like “someone with a vulva” instead of “girl” or “woman”
- Guidance directing students to ask about preferred pronouns
- Content suggesting gender identity is self-defined rather than tied to biological sex
Six Counties Currently Using Targeted Curricula
The 2023-2024 data shows PREP funding was distributed to the North Carolina School Health Training Center at East Carolina University for implementation in Cumberland, Montgomery, Brunswick, Lenoir, Scotland, and Pamlico counties.
All counties except Scotland County, which uses the “Reducing the Risk” curriculum, currently employ sex education materials that include gender identity content, according to the coalition.
State Law Compliance Questions Raised
NC Values Coalition also alleges that current PREP-funded programs violate North Carolina state law requiring abstinence-based sex education, claiming this requirement “has been ignored by most counties in the State.”
Federal Authority and Program Parameters
The coalition maintains that federal law does not authorize gender identity instruction within PREP-funded programs. The administration’s actions align with President Trump’s executive orders addressing gender ideology in educational settings.
The directive represents part of broader federal policy changes affecting sex education programming across multiple states since the current administration took office.
