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Department of Education investigates Massachusetts school district over transgender bathroom policy

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FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Education has launched an investigation into a Massachusetts public school district for allegedly allowing students at K-12 schools to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their self-defined gender identity, rather than biological sex, while forcing students to integrate and preventing parents from changing the policy.

Westford County Public Schools’ (WPS) policy surrounding “Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students” allows students to use restrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex while forcing other students who object to leave, according to America First Legal (AFL), which originally filed the complaint that prompted the investigation. 

“America First Legal is committed to ensuring that children are protected from leftist Indoctrination,” AFL President Gene Hamilton told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We will not allow our girls to be silenced or harmed by WPS’s ‘gender identity’ policy. The Department of Education’s investigation rightfully sends a clear message to schools across the country: Title IX will not be sacrificed on the altar of gender ideology.”

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The same policy allegedly allows girls to enter boys facilities as well, forcing students who disagree with the policy or may be of the opposite sex to leave the bathroom or locker room. 

“Prior Administrations regularly misinterpreted Title IX to pander to political ideology and police ‘misgendering’ despite not having sound legal grounds,” Department of Education spokesperson Amelia Joy told Fox News Digital in a statement. “With today’s actions, the Trump Administration is upholding the law and righting years of wrongs.”

The policy, which appears to have been removed from the WPS website, also included policies surrounding gender identities, pronoun usage, and defines terms like “gender nonconforming.”

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When the policy was being debated prior to its implementation in March 2025, WestfordCAT reported that one school board committee member said that staff could also be affected by not allowing the use of opposite sex facilities based on gender identity. 

“I know that we have students, possibly staff, that this impacts,” WPS committee member Tom Laflamme said. “They are real people who are harmed by taking no action. The policy may not be perfect because we are humans, but it makes a statement that they matter to us.”

The policy was implemented after President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled: “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government” on his first day in office, Jan. 20, 2025.

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The executive order threatens the stripping of federal funds from institutions which do not recognize a two-gender standard and instead rely on self-defined gender identity.

“Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from women’s domestic abuse shelters to women’s workplace showers,” the executive orders reads. “This is wrong.”

“Federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology. Each agency shall assess grant conditions and grantee preferences and ensure grant funds do not promote gender ideology.”

Fox News Digital reached out to WPS and Laflamme, but did not receive responses in time for publication. 

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WWE star Kit Wilson expresses support for Cody Rhodes after Pat McAfee promo, no animosity after ‘toxic’ move

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Cody Rhodes was running hot earlier this month after Pat McAfee was inserted into his WrestleMania 42 feud with Randy Orton just days before their match was set to take place.

Kit Wilson was the punching bag after McAfee kicked Rhodes in the groin, ripped the pro wrestling business and said that Orton was going to save it. Wilson had just finished a match with The Miz against Damian Priest and R-Truth when Rhodes rushed the ring.

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Rhodes targeted Wilson with a Cross Rhodes and cut the scathing promo on McAfee.

Wilson told Fox News Digital that he didn’t know Rhodes was coming and that he would be targeted. However, he praised Rhodes’ message.

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“I was just trying to look out for my mentor, The Miz. I was just trying to do the right thing by him. Yeah, I had no idea it was coming,” Wilson said. “It was interesting because I think Cody was speaking from the heart there and what he had to say was quite informational and important in the current zeitgeist of the world.”

Wilson said that he did think Rhodes’ decision to take his anger out on him was “toxic” but he had no ill will toward “The American Nightmare.”

“So yeah, I think he was taking his anger out on me,” Wilson continued. “I don’t appreciate it. I do think it was toxic. But I see the side of him that had a lot of things to say. In my own way, I think I’ve forgiven him.”

Rhodes and Orton will battle for the Undisputed WWE Championship on Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. McAfee is sure to be at ringside in Orton’s corner, much to Rhodes and fans’ chagrin.

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Charlie Kirk podcast pans Utah Valley University citing ‘safety concerns’ in scrapping controversial speaker

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The producers of “The Charlie Kirk Show” panned the stated reason Utah Valley University (UVU) canceled the commencement speaker invitation of author and educator Sharon McMahon, whose selection sparked outrage among supporters of the late conservative leader, who was murdered on its campus.

On Thursday, UVU issued a statement saying, “Due to increased safety concerns related to the speaker and in consultation with public safety professionals and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has decided to proceed without a featured commencement speaker for this year’s ceremony.”

The statement didn’t sit well with podcast co-hosts Andrew Kolvet and Blake Neff.

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“Here’s what’s annoying,” Neff reacted. “They say it’s not because ‘Oh, we picked a terrible speaker and that was our bad.’ They say they have ‘increased safety concerns’ about what happened.”

“Basically it’s our fault we were engaged in menacing behavior, they say,” Neff continued. “But regardless, it’s a speaker they shouldn’t have chosen… Nobody was making any threats about this. Not on this show or anywhere else.”

“We were saying it was a bad idea,” Kolvet responded before saying, “Hallelujah.”

Representatives for UVU did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.

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UVU came under fire for its selection of McMahon, who attacked Kirk just days after his assassination.

“Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done,” McMahon wrote on X at the time.

The now-deleted social media post sent two days after Kirk’s death also included a pair of quotes that many Kirk supporters said were taken out of context. 

“It’s important to remember that the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words, and the ensuing actions his followers took,” McMahon said.

The university’s selection of McMahon as its commencement speaker drew outrage among Kirk’s supporters. A spokesperson for McMahon declined comment. 

Her team previously dismissed the notion that she celebrated Kirk’s death, telling Utah outlets that she “unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, repeatedly and publicly, calling his death a tragedy and stressing that public debate must never be met with violence.

The 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder was participating in a public speaking event sponsored by the campus chapter of Turning Point when he was shot and killed on Sept. 10. The suspect, now 23-year-old Tyler Robinson, was charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Fox News’ Max Bacall contributed to this report.

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Doctors warn of ‘looksmaxxing’ dangers after influencer’s livestream emergency

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“Clavicular,” the controversial “looksmaxxing” influencer, was reportedly hospitalized due to a suspected overdose Tuesday night during a livestream. 

The Miami content creator, 20, posted a photo of his bloody face and commented on X Wednesday.

“Just got home, that was brutal. All of the substances are just [to] cope, trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously, that isn’t a real solution. The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask.”

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The influencer, whose real name is Braden Peters, was hospitalized after his livestream was cut short when he began slurring his words and repeating phrases, according to reports.

Looksmaxxing is a social media trend focused on enhancing appearance, ranging from basic skin care to extreme practices like hitting cheekbones with hammers to alter facial structure.

The potentially dangerous trend has been popular with young males, plastic surgeons told Fox News Digital.

“In my practice, we’ve seen it primarily in young men in their 20s,” Dr. Josef Hadeed, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, told Fox News Digital. “We have had a few women, but I’d say by and large, it’s been mostly men who have come into our office wanting these various looksmaxxing procedures.”

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“Patients are increasingly seeking to align how they look with how they feel,” he said. “The difference today is that the tools and technologies available to achieve that have never been more advanced or more accessible.”

Looksmaxxing can be divided into two categories: “softmaxxing” and “hardmaxxing,” according to Hadeed. Softmaxxing is a more simple, non-invasive approach to improving one’s looks.

“It’s really like self-care or grooming – things like going to the gym on a regular basis to try to improve your body composition, or using various skincare products to try to improve your skin texture,” the surgeon said.

Softmaxxing techniques – which can also include teeth whitening, beard grooming, or upgrading a wardrobe or hairstyle – are not usually a problem, according to Hadeed. Hardmaxxing, which involves more extreme measures, can have riskier consequences.

Some individuals in the looksmaxxing online community do things like “bone smashing,” Hadeed said.

“[It’s] literally what it sounds like, where you smash the bones to change the facial structure, and that is obviously not recommended because it can lead to potential complications,” he warned.

“Once you cross that line and start getting into more extreme things, I feel like that’s where most plastic surgeons should draw the line.”

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Dr. C. Bob Basu, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the biggest safety risks with the looksmaxxing trend come from pursuing treatments without proper medical guidance.

“Social media can make procedures seem easy or risk-free, but even minimally invasive treatments carry real risks if performed incorrectly or by an untrained provider,” the Houston-based plastic surgeon told Fox News Digital.

To achieve quality results, it is critical to be treated by a board-certified plastic surgeon who understands both safety and anatomy, Basu advised.

The convergence of social media, constant digital visibility and “unprecedented access to aesthetic treatments” – along with a cultural shift toward optimizing wellness and longevity – are fueling the looksmaxxing trend, according to Basu.

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Hadeed agreed, noting that social media puts pressure on individuals to look perfect.

“People are constantly comparing themselves to other people online,” he told Fox News Digital. “It can quickly develop into body dysmorphia for a lot of people, and that’s when they start pursuing more and more procedures that they don’t need by any stretch – it’s kind of like keeping up with the Joneses.”

Dr. Nancy Frye, a professor in the psychology department at Long Island University in Brookville, New York, also weighed in on what’s driving the looksmaxxing craze.

“We figure out how attractive we might be by comparing what we see in ourselves to what we see in others,” she told Fox News Digital. “This social comparison is especially problematic with social media and filters, as people compare themselves to filtered versions of others.”

While experts warn of the risks of looksmaxxing, they say a thoughtful approach can have some benefits, including pride in one’s appearance and health.

The most tangible benefits are associated with the softmaxxing approach, which includes following a fitness routine, eating a clean diet and following regular skin care routines, according to Hadeed.

With healthy guidance, aesthetic care can “enhance confidence and self-esteem, helping patients feel more aligned with their sense of self,” Basu added.

Both plastic surgeons emphasized the importance of taking a responsible approach when considering the looksmaxxing trend.

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“The goal should always be thoughtful self-improvement, not perfection,” Basu said. “It should never be about looking like someone else or a filtered version of yourself, but rather about becoming a confident, natural and authentic version of you.”

Anyone considering this trend should consult a licensed healthcare professional rather than relying on advice from social media influencers, the doctors advised.

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