The U.S. Department of Education opened a federal investigation into North Monterey County Unified School District over allegations that ethnic studies activities asked students to reveal sensitive personal details without parental consent.

The probe, announced Oct. 26 by the department's Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO), also targets Palo Alto Unified School District and San Francisco Unified. The investigations will determine whether the districts violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law requiring schools that receive federal funding to obtain written parental consent before surveying students on topics that would reveal protected information.

North Monterey County Unified, which covers Castroville, Prunedale, Moss Landing, Aromas and parts of Salinas, is a neighboring district to Monterey Peninsula Unified. The federal guidance underlying the probe applies to all districts receiving federal funding.

The department alleged the three districts included "Wheel of Power/Privilege" and "Mapping My Identities" activities in required ethnic studies courses. Those activities, the department said, asked students to identify their sexual orientations, gender identities, mental and physical health conditions, family economic status and race, then assess their "privilege status." Parents also alleged the districts did not respond to requests to review the ethnic studies curriculum or allowed them to see only parts of it, according to the department.

"Students should not be pressured into identifying intimate details about themselves and their families without parental awareness and consent," Frank Miller, director of the Student Privacy Policy Office, said in the announcement.

Those are allegations under investigation. The department has not announced any findings.

District disputes claims

North Monterey County Unified pushed back the next day. KSBW reported the district conducted an internal investigation after receiving a letter from the department dated Oct. 23, three days before the public announcement. In an Oct. 27 letter to the community, the district said its review found "no evidence to support the claims made by the U.S. Department of Education," as reported by Monterey County NOW.

The district said the specific materials the department referenced were not assigned, that the activities it reviewed did not require students to disclose information covered by the law, and that parents and community members had opportunities to review the curriculum, according to KSBW. No named district official was identified as the letter's author in available reporting.

What's at stake

PPRA violations can lead to enforcement actions and potential loss of federal funding, according to the department. The investigation follows a broader federal push on student privacy. In August, the SPPO issued a Dear Colleague letter stating that even optional mental health screenings and surveys would be reclassified as "required" under the law, subject to parental notification and written consent, according to K-12 Dive.

The federal investigation remains open. No timeline for its completion has been announced.