Douglas County School District has guidance to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to the Douglas County School District seeking any guidelines the district has regarding transgender issues. The district provided PDE with several documents, including a policy for people with “diverse gender identities or expressions.” This policy states that all teachers will “receive annual training concerning the requirements and needs of persons with diverse gender identities or expressions.” Both students and teachers are also mandated to use the preferred pronouns of other students.

The policy is accompanied by a graph that shows the gender identity of students can be hidden from parents. If a student chooses to allow the counselor to talk to parents, then the parents will be involved in the process. If a student does not want the counselor to contact parents, the counselor will explain that the the preferred pronouns and name cannot be honored without parental consent. However, the district will still continue to “establish safe places/adults for student while at school” and create a “support plan.”

PDE also received the gender support plan for students from the district. This plan specifically asks: “Parental consent to build this plan?” The plan then asks: “Which name will be used in guardian communications?” This document further states: “Therefore, given the sensitive nature of the information, when speaking with parents, guardians, other staff members, or third parties, school staff should not disclose a student’s preferred name, pronoun, or other confidential information pertaining to the student’s transgender or gender nonconforming status without the student’s permission.”