Dexter Community Schools introduces new draft policy that would remove the ability of parents to opt their children out of gender ideology lessons

Concerned community members reached out to Parents Defending Education regarding a draft policy that the Board of Education of Dexter Community Schools is working to complete. Michigan’s state law mandates that districts allow parents to opt their children out of sex education classes. PDE was told that the new policy redefines “sex education” to remove LGBTQ and gender ideology lessons from being considered as part of the content. This would allow the district to teach students about these issues without parents having the ability to opt them out. This new draft policy states:

Discussions, activities, or texts/books used to teach to other academic standards, that are introduced during classroom instruction of non-health courses, and that may include human sexuality, gender identity, or any of the core concepts outlined above do not constitute sex education and would not be subject to the legal requirements of §380.1507, as they are not materials and methods that are part of a unit to teach the Michigan Health Education Standards focusing on growth and development/sex education.

The draft policy was introduced on October 16, 2023. The original policy is dated December 2, 2019. This original policy did not include the new added text.