Greater Latrobe School District has policy that keeps parents in the dark regarding their children’s gender identity

Incidents


Greater Latrobe Senior High School and Greater Latrobe Junior High School in the Greater Latrobe School District both have a policy in their “Student Handbook” for the 2022-2023 school year labeled as “nondiscrimination” that is specifically about transgender issues. The policy explicitly states in both handbooks that parents should be kept in the dark regarding the gender identity of their children:

School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including, but not limited to, parents and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so, or unless the student has authorized such disclosure, or, in the determination of school officials, it becomes necessary to protect the transgender student’s interests or safety.

The policy then states: “When contacting the parent or guardian of a transgender or gender nonconforming student, school personnel should use the student’s legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student’s gender assigned at birth unless the student, parent, or guardian has specified otherwise.”

The policy also mandates teachers and staff to use the preferred pronouns and names of students: “The intentional or persistent refusal to respect a student’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the student by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the student’s gender identity) is a violation of this policy. All staff members shall use a transgender student’s requested name, gender marker, and gender pronoun to the greatest possible extent on other school related records and documents.”

The policy also allows students to use the preferred restrooms and locker rooms of their choosing. The policy further explains that “transgender and gender nonconforming students shall be permitted to participate in physical education classes and intramural sports in a manner consistent with their gender identity.”