Davis Joint Unified School District works with clinic to transition children without parental consent

On January 6, 2023, Libs of TikTok reported on Substack that the Davis Joint Unified School District facilitated “gender transitions on children without parental consent.” Libs of TikTok explained that a public records request exposed that the district “partnered with a healthcare facility to provide children with gender transition hormones and surgeries without parental consent.” The report further explains that the district and the clinic “CommuniCare are providing these services under the guise of a ‘mental health program’ for K-12 students.” CommuniCare reportedly offers “sex hormone medications like testosterone, estradiol, and spironolactone, letters for medical clearance to undergo transition surgeries, and assistance with legal name and gender documents.”

Libs of TikTok shared a contract between the school district and CommuniCare that was intended “to improve access to quality healthcare services for Martin Luther King (Jr.) High School students.” The contract was for the 2018-2019 school year. The contract explains that the district will obtain “written parental consent for limited primary health care” but “with the exception of confidential sexual and reproductive health services protected by law.” The cost of the clinic’s services in the contract was $14,250.

Libs of TikTok also reported that a parent submitted a public records request to the district and found that the district “will allow students as young as 12 years old to be treated by CommuniCare clinicians regarding their gender transition, and parents will not be notified unless the child consents.” The district’s response to the records request explains: “Students 12 years of age and older are allowed to consent to their own mental health services so parent/guardian consent is not needed.”

Students are also “referred through the K-12 Partnership [to] see Clinicians on their school site,” according to the information received from the records request. The district further explains that “school counselors make the referral and the CommuniCare staff schedule their appointments with the students.” Libs of TikTok explains that “the K-12 Partnership is funded through the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) – aka California taxpayer money.” Libs of TikTok further explains: “CommuniCare is receiving funding from Yolo County Health & Human Services which was awarded the grant and is responsible for distributing funding to promote this program in schools.”

Libs of TikTok then shared an image of a bulletin board within the school district promoting counseling from CommuniCare. The bulletin board has a “progress pride flag” flag displayed.