Gates Chili Central School District asks for pronouns of potential students on registration form; has transgender policy in place that appears to keep gender identity of students secret from parents

A concerned community member reached out to Parents Defending Education and shared the student registration form for the Gates Chili Central School District. The form asks parents for the “gender” and “pronouns” of their children. The options for gender are “Female,” “Male,” and “Non-Binary.” The options for pronouns are “She/Her/Hers,” “He/Him/His,” and “They/Them/Theirs.”

The district also has a policy titled “Student Gender Identity” that was adopted on September 29, 2015. The policy appears to explain that parents can be left in the dark regarding the gender identity of their children: “When apprised of a student’s transgender or GNC status, the District will endeavor to engage the student and his or her parents or guardians, as appropriate, in an effort to agree upon a plan that will accommodate the student’s individual needs at school.” District staff and teachers are also mandated to use the preferred pronouns of students: “District staff will use the name and pronoun that corresponds to the gender identity the student consistently asserts at school.”

The policy further explains that “the The District will allow a transgender or GNC student to use the restroom and locker room that corresponds to the student’s consistently expressed gender identity at school.” Students can also participate in sports and physical education according to their preferred gender identity:

Physical education is a required part of the District’s curriculum. Where these classes are sex-segregated, students will be allowed to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity. Students will likewise be allowed to participate in intramural activities consistent with their gender identity.

Students will also participate in overnight field trips according to their preferred gender identity. The policy states that “in other circumstances where students may be sex-segregated, such as overnight field trips, students may be permitted to participate in accordance with the gender identity that the student consistently asserts at school.”