Community Unit School District 300 provides LGBTQ events for students; appears to have them hidden from parents

A concerned community member submitted a public records request to Community Unit School District 300 seeking records and information on events held for students in 2024 and 2025 promoting LGBTQ issues. This person told Defending Education that the permission slip for the 2024 event did not include the name of the actual event and was labeled as for “Student Leaders.” Defending Education was additionally told that the 2025 event included no permission slip.

The permission form for the 2024 event provides the following description: “A networking event and dance for student leaders from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.”

Records from the community member’s public records request explain that the event for both years had “3 inclusion coaches” and “2 GSA Coordinators.” Both events also included the district’s “Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” Defending Education found that this person’s title within the district is now “Director of Student Learning and Development.”

In an invite, the name of the event is shown as the “Night of Noise.” This invite explains that the event “traditionally occurs in the evening hours of Day of (NO) Silence as a way for students to gather together and break free of their earlier protest.” GSA groups from Illinois and Wisconsin are invited. The goal is “to gather LGBTQ+ youth in a safe space where they can dance, celebrate, and enjoy good company.”

Defending Education received additional information from emails that belong to the district’s “Director of Student Learning and Development,” which appears to have the same responsibilities as the previously named “Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” position. He said these events were not made public because of a concern that people “might view this as an opportunity to cause harm to students who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.” He also explained that communication for the event “generally happens verbally” and that “each school is responsible for permission slips or field trip information.”