Anchorage School District has policy to keep gender identity of students a secret from parents

The Anchorage School District has a policy titled “Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students and Employees” that explicitly states that the gender identity of students can be kept a secret from parents. The policy states for students at the “secondary” level that in some cases “notifying parents carries risks for the student if the family does not support the student’s desire to transition.” The district’s policy continues to explain:

Prior to notification of any parent or guardian regarding the transition process, school staff should work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the parent/guardian will be involved in the process, considering at all times the health, well-being, and safety of the transitioning student.

The policy also appears to explain that staff are mandated to use the preferred pronouns of students: “Administrators and staff should respect the right of an individual to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to their gender identity.” The policy then further explains that parents can be left in the dark: “When contacting the parent or guardian of a transgender student, school staff should use the student’s legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student’s gender assigned at birth, unless the student, parent, or guardian has specified otherwise.”

Everyone is allowed to use restrooms and locker rooms “based on the gender identity consistently expressed by the student or employee.” Students can also participate in sports according to their preferred gender identity.