Johnston Public Schools has policy to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

Johnston Public Schools has a policy in place for “students who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming.” This policy explicitly states that the gender identity of students should be hidden from parents: “School personnel may not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents, students, volunteers, and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has explicitly authorized such disclosure.” The policy then further reiterates this point:

When contacting the parent or guardian of a student who is transgender or gender nonconforming, 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.”

The policy then explains: “It is recommended that district staff privately ask a student at the beginning of the school year how they would like to be addressed in class, in correspondence to the home, or at conferences with the student’s parent or guardian.”

Staff are mandated to use the preferred pronouns of students: “The intentional or persistent refusal to respect a student’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the student by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the student’s gender identity) is a violation of this policy.” Students are allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms as well as participate in sports according to their preferred gender identity.