Cabarrus County Schools has guidance to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to Cabarrus County Schools seeking any guidance the district has regarding transgender issues. The district provided PDE with a document titled “CCS Best Practices – LGBT.” This guidance specifically states that parents should be left in the dark regarding the gender identity of their children:

School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure. Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to discuss and express their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to share private information.

The district’s guidance then reiterates this point: “When contacting the parent/guardian of a transgender or gender nonconforming student, school personnel 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.”

Staff are also mandated to use the preferred pronouns and names of students: “A student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to the student’s gender identity.” The guidance states that not using a student’s preferred pronouns and name can harm a “student’s sense of well-being and security” and refusing to do so may “be in violation of federal, state, and district nondiscrimination and anti-harassment provisions.”