NYC schools sue the US Education Department over $47M in grant cuts tied to transgender policies: Here’s why it matters
New York City Public Schools have taken the federal government to court in a dispute that could reshape how protections for transgender students are enforced nationwide. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, challenges the US Education Department’s decision to withhold $47 million in grants for 19 specialty magnet schools, citing policies that allow transgender students to use bathrooms and play sports consistent with their gender identity, the Associated Press reports. Funding at stake The conflict began with a September letter from the US Department of Education, led by Secretary Linda McMahon, warning that the city’s policies could violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education. School officials were given a deadline to revise these policies or risk losing both current and future funding. According to Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights, the department’s concern is that “male students who identify as female or transgender are given unqualified access to female intimate spaces,” as reported by the Associated Press. New York City was one of several districts, including Chicago and Fairfax County in Virginia, to receive such warnings. Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos framed the department’s threat as a violation of both law and principle. She told the Associated Press, “US DOE’s threat to cut off tens of millions of dollars in magnet funding unless we cancelled our protections for transgender and gender expansive students is contrary to federal, state, and local law and, just as importantly, our values as New York City Public Schools.” Legal and policy implications The 48-page lawsuit seeks to reverse the department’s decision, asserting that New York City’s policies are fully compliant with Title IX and that the Education Department’s interpretation is inconsistent with state and city laws prohibiting gender-based discrimination. The department, in turn, has dismissed the suit. An agency spokesperson told the Associated Press that “The Department sees no merit in this lawsuit.” The spokesperson emphasized that the magnet school grant program “requires certification of civil rights compliance, which we could obviously not do in the face of NYC’s continued determination to violate the rights of female students under Title IX.” A broader context The dispute over New York City is part of a wider national conversation on transgender rights in schools. In a related development, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered the Massapequa School District, located in a Long Island suburb, to temporarily halt enforcement of bathroom restrictions for transgender students. The New York Civil Liberties Union is challenging a policy that barred students from using facilities aligning with their gender identity. In response to the commissioner’s order, the district said it will continue offering a gender-neutral locker room and bathroom option to any student who prefers it, the Associated Press reports. What this means for students and schools Beyond the immediate question of funding, the lawsuit underscores how federal and local interpretations of Title IX can directly affect students’ daily experiences. For magnet schools that rely on grant money to offer specialized programs, the stakes extend from policy debates to classroom resources, extracurricular activities, and equitable access for all students. As the case unfolds, it could set a precedent on how civil rights protections for transgender students intersect with federal funding, providing clarity, or further contention, on the scope of Title IX in public education. For students, educators, and policymakers, the outcome is likely to resonate far beyond New York City’s school district. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Karnataka HC restrains use of ‘strip and search’ in transgender survey
NEW DELHI: The Karnataka high court has restrained government officials from using any “strip and search” methods to identify participants in the ongoing state-run transgender survey, news agency PTI reported. A division bench comprising chief justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Poonacha issued the interim order on Wednesday while hearing a petition filed by the Anita Humanitarian Foundation, which has challenged the legality of the ‘Gender Minority Survey’. The court also directed that all information collected since the survey began on 15 September must be kept confidential and not shared with any third party. The petitioner argued that the exercise violates the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The foundation’s counsel alleged that transgender individuals were being subjected to strip searches in hospitals by persons who may not share the same gender identity. It was also submitted that transgender persons already hold official identity cards, making such verification unnecessary. Issuing notice to the state government, the bench asked it to file its statement of objections by 5 December, the next date of hearing. “In the meantime, the Government of Karnataka and those conducting the survey shall inform transgender persons that participation is voluntary,” the court said. “We restrain the respondents from conducting any identification by strip and search method till the next hearing. The information collected during the survey shall be kept strictly confidential and not disseminated.” The bench further directed the Department of Social Welfare to submit an affidavit within three days detailing how it plans to ensure confidentiality of the data gathered. The petition also calls for the creation of a compensation and rehabilitation fund for transgender and gender-diverse persons who were allegedly subjected to forced verification or humiliation during the survey. It additionally seeks a public apology from the state for what it terms an “illegal, invasive and unconstitutional process” and demands accountability from officials involved in the exercise. The foundation has urged the government to frame any future transgender welfare policies only after consulting representatives of the transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities, in line with the Supreme Court’s NALSA v. Union of India judgment and Section 4 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. (With inputs from PTI) Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Grand Alliance saved from collapse: Rahul Gandhi, on the initiative of Dipankar Bhattacharya, became the troubleshooter, speaking to Tejashwi and convincing Mukesh Sahni.
Bihar Assembly Election 2025 – Amid the ongoing deadlock over seat sharing in Bihar, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahni nearly withdrew from the Grand Alliance, but was prevented by the intervention of top leadership. Patna: After several days of talks regarding seat sharing in Bihar, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahni nearly withdrew from the Grand Alliance on Thursday, but was prevented by the intervention of top leaders. Sahani had broken ties with the Grand Alliance. According to media reports, Mukesh Sahni was upset over not being given a fair place in the Grand Alliance and had almost broken ties. He stated that no talks have taken place between the VIP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the past two days. The source said that Sahni contacted Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. The matter was resolved after Rahul Gandhi intervened. Dipankar Bhattacharya then approached Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on the issue and insisted that VIP be accommodated. Following this, Rahul Gandhi discussed the matter with the RJD’s top leadership and also spoke with Mukesh Sahni. He said that following this intervention, the VIP chief wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi, expressing his commitment to remain in the “Grand Alliance.” Nishad community constitutes approximately 2.5 percent of the state’s population. In the letter, the VIP chief stated that they were assured a certain number of seats, which was not fulfilled. He stated that numbers do not matter, as they are part of the alliance because of their ideology and want to fight against communal and divisive forces. Mukesh Sahni is a leader of the Nishad community in Bihar, which constitutes approximately 2.5 percent of the state’s population. Edited by: Ravi Prakash Sinha About the Author Ravi Prakash Sinha is a senior journalist (Principal Digital Content Producer) at Navbharat Times Online. He has 25 years of experience covering current affairs, Jharkhand-Bihar politics, and ground reporting. Ravi Sinha has been with NBT (Digital) for the past three years. Courtesy: Hindi News
VIP gets 15 seats in the Grand Alliance: Rahul Gandhi’s intervention resolves deadlock; Rajya Sabha and MLC seats also offered
The impasse over seat sharing in the Bihar Grand Alliance has finally ended. Mukesh Sahni-led VIP has been awarded 15 assembly seats in the alliance. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has subsequently assured VIP of one Rajya Sabha seat and two Legislative Council (MLC) seats. Patna: The seat sharing issue for Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) in the Bihar Grand Alliance has finally been resolved. VIP has been awarded 15 assembly seats in the alliance. To compensate for the reduced number of seats, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has subsequently assured VIP of one Rajya Sabha seat and two Legislative Council (MLC) seats. VIP candidates announced Immediately after the seat sharing agreement was reached, VIP announced its candidates for two seats late last night. Party chief Mukesh Sahni himself will contest from the Gauda Bauram seat in Darbhanga district, while VIP state president Bal Govind Bind will contest from the Bhabua assembly seat. Both candidates will file their nomination papers on Friday. Today is the last day for nominations for the first phase. Deadlock and Reconciliation in Seat-Sharing Mukesh Sahni was adamant on more seats, which prevented the Grand Alliance from finalizing the seat-sharing formula. On Wednesday, Sahni called a press conference, which was later postponed several times. Finally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mediated the matter and spoke with Mukesh Sahni over the phone, leading to an agreement. After the seats were finalized, VIP handed over the symbol to its other candidates on Friday morning on behalf of Mukesh Sahni. The Importance of the Gauda Bauram Seat Mukesh Sahni will file his nomination from the Gauda Bauram seat, which will be held in the first phase of voting. In 2020, the VIP won this seat, but its MLA, Swarna Singh, later joined the BJP. This time, the BJP has cut Swarna Singh’s ticket and fielded Sujit Kumar Singh. Curated by: Ravi Sinha About the Author Ravi Prakash Sinha is a senior journalist (Principal Digital Content Producer) at Navbharat Times Online. He has 25 years of experience in current affairs, Jharkhand-Bihar politics, and ground reporting. Ravi Sinha has been working with NBT (Digital) for the last three years. He had the opportunity to work as the Jharkhand representative at Rajasthan Patrika from December 2005 to April 2020. He also spent 17 years as a casual assistant editor at the regional news section of Doordarshan Ranchi and All India Radio. Courtesy: Hindi News
UP lynching case: Rahul Gandhi meets Dalit victim’s family; claims govt ‘threatening’ them
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday met the family of Hariom Valmiki, the Dalit man who was lynched in his constituency, Raebareli. After meeting the family, the Congress leader made a big claim, saying the government threatened the victim’s family against meeting him. He said the Congress party will “try the best to provide all possible help to the family”, adding that wherever there will be “atrocities against Dalits in the country, Congress will be there and we will provide all possible help and fight for justice.” Valmiki (40) was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil at about 1 am on October 2 amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies. — ANI (@ANI) “This morning, the government threatened the family against meeting me… It’s not important whether the victims’ family meets me or not, but what is important is that these people are not criminals. They have committed no mistake… I met the deceased’s family and listened to them. Congress Party and I will try our best to provide all possible help to the family… Wherever there will be atrocities against Dalits in the country, Congress will be there and we will provide all possible help and fight for justice,” Rahul Gandhi told the press after meeting the Valmiki family. Screenshot 2025-10-17 111650 Referring to the suicide of a Haryana officer, Rahul Gandhi said: “A crime has been committed against them (Valmiki’s family), and it seems as if they are the criminals.” Rahul futher claimed that the family was being threatened and was not allowed to go out of their house. “A Dalit officer committed suicide a few days ago. I went there, and today I have come here. The family did not commit the crime. A crime has been committed against them, and it seems as if they are the criminals. They are not being allowed to go out of their house,” the Congress leader said. He sought action against the perpetrators, urging the UP government that the accused “should not be protected”. “They are being threatened. All they are asking for is justice. Our son had been killed. The murder is recorded on video. We are asking for justice… There is a girl in there who needs to be operated on, but she is unable to get it done because the government has locked them in. Atrocities, murders and rapes are being committed against Dalits in the entire nation. I want to ask the CM that they should be served justice. They should be respected. Action should be taken against the perpetrators and they should not be protected,” the Reabareli MP said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit youth assaulted for ‘owning’ high-end bike in Tamil Nadu
The gang also hurled caste-based abuses at the victim, who managed to flee the spot, and reported the incident to the Pappanadu police in the early hours of Tuesday THANJAVUR: The Pappanadu police on Tuesday arrested six caste Hindus for allegedly assaulting a Dalit youth at his residence late on Monday for owning a high-end bike. According to sources, N Pachilin, a 21-year-old Dalit of Vellur who works at an eatery in Pappanadu, on Monday night was returning home from work on his bike when T Gopinath (30) of Nemmeli waylaid him. Gopinath allegedly told Pachilin that those from his caste should not ride costly bikes. Pachilin replied that he bought the bike and had the right to ride it, and rode to his house. Past midnight, Gopinath along with five others confronted Pachilin at his house and allegedly assaulted him with logs as well as their bare hands. The gang also hurled caste-based abuses at him, sources said. Managing to flee the spot, Pachilin reported the incident to the Pappanadu police in the early hours of Tuesday, sources said. Following this, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested Gopinath, V Likanthan (21), A Sarathi (23), M Arunkumar (23), K Udhayan (21) and A Prahadeeswaran (21) on Tuesday. Courtesy : TNI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Now Late Dalit IPS Officer’s Wife, Her MLA Brother Booked in ASI Suicide Case
Puran Kumar was cremated on Wednesday after a week-long tug of war between his family and police authorities over denial of Puran Kumar’s post mortem due to their pending demands. Chandigarh: In a fresh twist to the controversy surrounding Dalit IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar’s death, Haryana police have registered a case against the deceased officer’s wife, IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar, her brother and Punjab MLA Amit Rattan and two others on the charges of abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy in connection with ASI Sandeep Lathar’s suicide case. Lathar, ASI posted in Haryana’s Rohtak, was on Tuesday (October 14) found dead with a gunshot wound along with a purported suicide note that accused the late IPS officer and his family of corruption. Lathar further claimed that the late IPS officer Puran Kumar was facing mounting pressure after his corrupt practices came to light. Lathar was referring to the arrest of Puran Kumar’s gunman Sushil Kumar, who was apprehended for allegedly taking bribe from a Rohtak-based businessman. Sushil Kumar confessed to have taken money on Puran Kumar’s behalf. Further, Lathar narrated in his purported video that Puran Kumar died by suicide due to fear of an impending inquiry, not by any form of social prejudice or caste discrimination as he claimed in his suicide note. In the video, Lathar was also heard saying that “someone has to sacrifice his life to awaken the nation,” while praising state DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and former Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya as honest officers. On the contrary, according to late Puran Kumar’s wife, the conspiracy by Kapur and Bijarniya were the trigger point behind her husband’s death by suicide and she continues to demand their arrest. Puran Kumar was cremated on Wednesday (October 15) after a week-long tug of war between his family and police authorities over denial of Puran Kumar’s post mortem due to their pending demands. The family finally relented after Haryana government sent state DGP Kapur on long leave while also transferring Rohtak SP Bijarniya days earlier on October 9. Somewhat similar developments occurred in the ASI suicide case as well. The family of the ASI withheld post mortem permission of the deceased officer unless police registered the case against all those persons named in his suicide note. The family relented and agreed for autopsy after Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini met the family members of 41-year-old Lathar on Wednesday (October 15) afternoon and assured them of “appropriate action”. Leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders also visited Lathar’s house and expressed condolences. Later in the evening, Sanjay Deswal, Lathar’s cousin, told media that the state government has accepted their demands, including registration of an FIR, government job to Lathar’s wife as per her qualification and fair probe in a time-bound manner. After this, Lathar’s body has been sent to Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, and the post-mortem examination will be conducted on Thursday (October 16) morning followed by cremation. Family silent, AAP minister says conspiracy Meanwhile, there has been no statement from Amneet Kumar or her MLA brother so far. Only thing Amneet Kumar said yesterday was that she had full faith in judicial process and police inquiry and she wants impartial probe. Commenting on the death of ASI Lathar, Punjab finance minister and AAP leader Harpal Cheema said that “when his enemy has died, why did he need to die by suicide?” While addressing media outside governor’s house in Chandigarh, Cheema alleged that he may have been murdered by some agencies or individuals. The police personnel can conspire or commit any treasonous act to save their other officers, to save a DGP, to save an SP, and to save the BJP government, Cheema said. He added that there should be an independent investigation. A high-ranking agency should investigate this, and “I believe that the investigation should be supervised by a judge of the country’s Supreme Court.” If you know someone – a friend or a family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. Icall, a counselling service run by TISS, has maintained a crowdsourced list of therapists across the country. You could also take them to the nearest hospital. Vivek Gupta Courtesy : The Wire India Note: This news is originally published on https:/thewireindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
ASI suspended over Dalit boy’s death probe
He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. The Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Commission has ordered the suspension of ASI Manjeet Singh for conducting a poor investigation into the death of a 12-year-old Dalit boy in the Rohru sub-division, Shimla district. Manjeet was the investigating officer in the case. The panel also found the work of DSP Rohru unsatisfactory and has sought an explanation from him. “The police investigation into the case has not been found satisfactory. The investigation has been hampered by the police’s laxity in the initial investigation,” said Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, chairman of the panel. He held a meeting with local administration and police officials in Rohru regarding the case. The accused woman is likely to be arrested soon after her anticipatory bail plea was rejected on Tuesday. Unhappy with the investigation, Dhiman stated several lapses in the police work. “When the FIR was initially filed on September 20, the case was not registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It was only when the matter reached the High Court, the case was registered under the provisions of the Act. Despite this, the police failed to arrest the accused woman,” Dhiman said. He added that the commission had directed DSP Rohru to submit a report within three days on October 1, but the officer failed to do so in time. “The commission received the report from the DGP’s office on October 14. The local police have been lax in complying with the commission’s orders,” Dhiman said. He added that the victim’s family has been provided financial aid of Rs 4,12,500 from the government through the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Courtesy : NAI Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsarenaindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP MLA protests after FIR against Dalit Muslim residents over ‘tree-cutting’ in Ayodhya
Ayodhya (UP), Oct 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh’s Rudauli BJP MLA Ramchandra Yadav staged a ‘dharna’ here after registration of a criminal case against six persons, including four Dalit and two Muslim, over alleged tree-cutting and “stealing of wood”. The protest, staged in front of the Nagar Panchayat office in Rudauli tehsil on Wednesday, later ended following the “assurance” of appropriate action by Circle Officer (CO) Ashish Nigam. Nagar Panchayat Executive Officer Nikhilesh Mishra said preparations were underway for the upcoming ‘Jhalkari Bai Jayanti’ celebration on November 22, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been invited as the chief guest. During the cleaning work around the Nagar Panchayat premises, a tree was allegedly cut down, following which Mishra lodged a complaint on October 5 at the Baba Bazar police station. SHO Shailendra Kumar Azad said, “The case was registered against six persons, identified as Nishu Ahmad, Aabid Abdul, Lal Bahadur, Ramroop, Siyaram, and Navmi Lal on charges of stealing wood. The matter is under investigation.” Yadav and district BJP general secretary Radhey Shyam Tyagi said they had already apprised Chief Minister Adityanath about the matter, yet an FIR was registered against members of the Kori community. Meanwhile, Ayodhya District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde has transferred Rudauli Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Dhar Dubey to Sohawal tehsil, following Yadav’s meeting with the chief minister. Angry BJP workers demanded that the administration withdraw the case and take action against those responsible, with Yadav warning that it would be resumed if the FIR was not withdrawn. However, reacting to the protest, BJP district spokesperson Rajneesh Singh said, “Those who staged a dharna against the administration were completely wrong. They should have raised their concerns within the party forum. I demand that the party’s state president and disciplinary committee issue show-cause notices and take action against them.” (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) Courtesy : TW Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Lack of inclusivity prompts transgender electors to mull election boycott
Patna: Transgender voters in the city have threatened to boycott the upcoming assembly elections, citing a lack of inclusive measures by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Community activists argue that despite legal protections to them under the Transgender Persons Act, 2019, they continue to face stigma, misrepresentation, and logistical barriers that prevent them from exercising their democratic rights. With only 4.17% turnout recorded in the 2020 assembly elections and a glaring mismatch between registered and actual transgender voters, the activists claim that the ECI’s current approach fails to recognise the dignity and identity of thousands of them. Although Patna district lists 156 registered transgender voters across 14 constituencies, the community members estimate their actual number to be around 7,000, highlighting a significant discrepancy in official records. Rajan Singh, member of the Bihar state Kinnar Kalyan Board, Govt of Bihar, criticised the ECI over this negligence. “As of now, nothing has been done to increase inclusivity of transgender — no trans icon, no separate polling booth or queue or bathroom, for our community at polling booths,” he said. “Would you tell a female to stand in a male queue?” Singh reiterated. In addition, the community is dismayed by the absence of a visible ‘trans icon’ for these assembly polls. Although an ECI official mentioned Monica Das, a previous icon for this year poll. However, Das contradicted the statement, confirming that they are not the official trans-icon for this elections. Highlighting further identity issues, Priti Kinnar, a transgender candidate from the Jan Suraaj party in the Bhorey constituency of Gopalganj, is listed as a male candidate in official documents. Singh believes it is the ECI’s responsibility to correct this error and uphold the candidate’s true identity. Anupriya, a member of the Kinnar Kalyan Board and a prominent trans rights activist, shed light on the challenges faced by the transgender community. They pointed out the lack of access to essential social entitlements and the prevalence of voter IDs that still reflect outdated or incorrect names and identities—often referred to as “dead names.” Anupriya emphasised that the community often lacks the resources and digital literacy needed to navigate online registration systems, making targeted Aadhaar and voter ID drives crucial. While stressing that boycotting elections is not the goal, the board member added, “Every vote matters. Voting is the most fundamental right in a democracy, and our community wants to exercise it. We hope that the next govt will ensure equal provisions and recognition for men, women, and transgender alike.” The ECI and district administration are conducting SVEEP (Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation) initiative to increase trans participation, but no other specific provisions are in place. The community questions, “If PWD can have the provision of voting from home, then why can’t transgender people have the same? That will help them fight the stigma and exercise their voting rights at the same time.” Lack of inclusivity prompts transgender electors to mull election boycott Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights