Denver Public Schools’ ‘LGBTQ+ Tool Kit’ instructs staff to ‘not disclose’ a student’s transgender status to parents/guardians

Denver Public Schools’ LGBTQ+ Tool Kit instructs district and school staff to hide a student’s gender transition from parents and allows students to use facilities and go on overnight trips based on their gender “expressed at school.”

The document states that for “students in transition” staff should “start by affirming the students’ self-asserted gender.” The document includes the staff member working “with the student to set up a Gender Support Plan” and states to “not out the student to anyone.” It explicitly states the following: “Do not share information about a student’s transition without their express, document consent—this may violate the student’s FERPA rights and can potentially put the student in danger.”

According to the tool kit, “school staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents and guardians and other school staff, unless legally required to do so or unless the student has authorized such disclosure.”

The document states that the school district “does not require parent/guardian notification or permission to use a student’s self-asserted name and/or pronouns at school.” When changing a student’s name and pronouns in the computer system, the tool kit warns that “some students will not have supportive parents/guardians” and therefore students need to be warned before making those changes.

Students are allowed to “use facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender as consistently expressed at school.” The tool kit also states that “information about a student’s gender and sexual orientation must remain private in the context of overnight trips and adherence to all DPS policies and state and federal protections must be ensured.”

According to the document, “there is no opt-out for LGBTQ+ topics” and the district “cannot tailor individual lessons, content, or classrooms because a family, student, or staff may have different values and beliefs outside of school.”

A document linked in the tool kit titled Supporting our LGBTQ+ Students and Colleagues Tool includes a variety of scenarios and responses to comments and questions.