This article originally appeared here, at nbcwashington.com

Northern Virginia school leaders are challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s plans to cut off their federal funds.

The Trump administration said late Friday it would freeze or cut funding after five school districts rejected a demand that they change their restroom and locker room policies.

On Monday, the superintendent of Virginia’s largest school district told News4 she doesn’t fear a funding cut.

The public school systems in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the city of Alexandria all have informed the Department of Education that they will not comply with an order to change their policies to require students to use the restroom or locker room that matches their sex at birth. Instead, those school districts will continue to permit students to use the facilities that match their gender identities.

The Trump administration says that policy violates Title IX, which bars sex discrimination.

Fairfax County Superintendent Michelle Reid explained why they are holding firm, saying, “Fairfax County Public Schools is going to remain a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all of our students, including our transgender and gender-expansive students.”

But in letters to the Department of Education, the school districts also said their policies are supported by current law and legal precedent.

The Department of Education fired back, writing in a statement: “The Agency will commence Administrative proceedings to effect the suspension or termination of federal financial assistance to these divisions. The Virginia districts will have to defend their embrace of radical gender ideology over ensuring the safety of their students.”

Reid says she’s confident the funding cannot be pulled.

“We believe in the rule of law, and we believe that we’re following the law, and therefore, we believe that we’re going to have an opportunity to have our funds continued,” Reid said.

But a loss of federal funding is exactly why some parents have urged the Northern Virginia school districts to reverse course.

“If we lose that money, it’ll affect our most vulnerable students, our Title I students, so we’re talking about our ELL [English language] learners, our newly migrated immigrants, as well as just lower socioeconomic people, and that’s not fair,” Loudoun County resident Tumay Harding said.

Prince William County School Board Chair Dr. Babur told News4 on Friday what his district would do if federal funds were in jeopardy.

“We believe if the federal government decides to cut our funds, we could go to court to ask that they not be cut, because our monies are essentially allocated by the United States Congress,” Lateef said. “We don’t think the president can do that. We don’t think an agency can do that.”

Reid and Lateef also said their representatives have asked the Department of Education for more information and for a chance to discuss the dispute.

News4 contacted the Department of Education asking for more details about the funding cuts, but we have not yet heard back.

Both U.S. senators from Virginia, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, issued a statement Monday, saying in part: “The Trump Administration destroyed the federal Department of Education and forced out an exceptional president at the University of Virginia. Now it wants to punish high-performing, award-winning schools districts in Northern Virginia. You can’t have a strong economy without strong schools …”