Bangor School Department has guidance to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents; training for staff included “Genderbread Person” to teach that gender is on a spectrum

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to the Bangor School Department seeking any guidance on transgender issues. The district provided PDE with several documents. One document from the “DEIB Coordinator” stated that staff need the “consent” from students to tell parents about their gender identity. The document is explicit in that this information can be hidden from parents:

A student can decline contacting guardian(s), but we encourage notification from BHS as best practice whenever possible. If the student does not want guardians to know of name and/or pronoun changes under any circumstances, we may coordinate informal support instead of record updates.

Another document is a presentation titled “LGBTQ+ 101: Understanding and Supporting all of those letters within your school community” and is dated March 18, 2022. This presentation noticeably has the “Genderbread Person.” The “Genderbread Person” is an image that educators use in an attempt to teach students that gender is on a spectrum.

This presentation tells staff to “neutralize language in classrooms” and to use terms such as “significant other” or “partner.” Staff are also encouraged to use “they/them” pronouns for singular students.

The district provided PDE with a form for both students and staff titled “Transgender/Gender Expansive Support Form.” Students are asked on this form: “Are the adults in your home (parents/guardians) aware of this preference?”

Another document that PDE received is a presentation titled “Centering a Culture of Belonging in Your Bangor School Department Role, Practice, and Everyday Experience” that is dated August 22, 2024. This document is labeled as “New Staff Orientation.” This presentation promotes “DEIB” initiatives to new staff. Teachers are told to affirm “names” and “pronouns.”