SANTA FE, NM – The Trump administration announced today that it is investigating Santa Fe and Albuquerque school districts over allegations that school officials concealed students’ gender transitions from their own parents. 

The investigations mark a significant development in a yearslong fight for parental rights and transparency in New Mexico’s public schools—a fight Independent Women has helped bring into the national spotlight. 

While states like California and New York have dominated national headlines over controversial school policies involving gender identity and parental involvement, New Mexico has become an increasingly radical battleground that often goes unnoticed.

Kristy Borrego Ojinaga, Santa Fe mother and member of Independent Women’s Network, is also helping bring these concerns into the spotlight. 

On the news, Ojinaga said, “I am grateful to finally see Santa Fe Public Schools and other New Mexico school districts facing federal investigations. More than a year ago, I began raising the alarm about these policies and how they undermine parental rights and transparency. Instead of having my concerns taken seriously, I was dismissed, threatened, and called names for speaking out. I hope this is the first step toward meaningful accountability and that Title IX investigations will follow. Parents deserve transparency, and schools must be held accountable when their policies violate parental rights and federal law. I hope this sends a clear message to school districts across New Mexico that parents will not be silenced and that protecting children must include respecting the rights of their families.”

She first shared her story with Independent Women’s Features (IW Features), the grassroots storytelling and original journalism arm of Independent Women, after her six year old daughter came home from school saying that she had to use the bathroom with a boy identifying as a girl, and that she was uncomfortable. 

READ KRISTY’S STORY HERE: Santa Fe Mom Says School Chose Gender Ideology Over Her Daughter’s Privacy—But She’s Fighting Back

Most recently, Ojinaga shared a pink flyer that is being distributed to elementary school students in Santa Fe public schools right now, advertising “Gender Support Plans” to students:

Independent Women has been at the forefront of bringing attention to these concerns, amplifying the experiences of parents and educators, investigating controversial school practices, and mobilizing New Mexicans demanding greater transparency and accountability. 

What began with parents asking questions at local meetups and school board meetings has grown into a statewide grassroots movement.

Ojinaga and Erica Ramirez, both New Mexico natives and mothers, have worked hand in hand with Independent Women to bring greater accountability to their children’s schools—and expose what is happening inside.

Erica Ramirez, mother, grandmother, and member of Independent Women’s Network, highlighted the growing crisis in New Mexico’s communities in Independent Women’s ad, “New Mexico Women: What’s Happening in Our Communities?”, which ran statewide in New Mexico.

Read more from Erica: 

Tell Her Story: From Santa Fe Classrooms to the National Spotlight

The federal investigations follow years of mounting concerns from New Mexico parents and educators whose stories IW Features has helped bring to light.

Alongside Kristy Ojinaga, Santa Fe mother Laura Girdner was also recently profiled by IW Features after her fourth-grade twin daughters were shown a puberty-related video at Mandela International Magnet School despite opting them out of the lesson. Girdner has since urged other parents to get more involved and demand greater transparency in schools.

IW Features has also covered disturbing accounts from inside the classroom. In Northwest New Mexico, Paula Edwards—a pseudonym used to protect her identity—described what she called a “full-scale collapse” in the state’s public schools, offering a firsthand account of the challenges facing teachers and students alike. 

Turning Firsthand Accounts into Statewide Action

In June, Independent Women launched a statewide grassroots campaign and petition, calling on New Mexico leaders to protect parental rights and transparency in schools and end ideological indoctrination in education. So far, thousands of New Mexicans have signed the letter.

The momentum continued through the beginning of the school year, when parents, grandparents, and community members packed a Santa Fe Public School Board meeting to demand answers about gender policies, student privacy, and parental rights. 

Independent Women’s report, “Identity Crisis: The Disjointed Reality in New Mexico,” examines the disconnect between state gender policies and public opinion. The overwhelming majority of New Mexicans showed support for parental involvement in decisions concerning minors.

Independent Women will continue working alongside parents and educators to expose disputed school policies, demand transparency, and advocate for accountability as the Trump administration’s investigations unfold. 

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