Maine School Administrative District 1 has policy that appears to explain students can identify as transgender at school without parental consent

Parents Defending Education submitted a public records request to Maine School Administrative District 1 seeking any guidance on transgender issues. The district provided PDE with a policy titled “Transgender Student Policy.” The policy is very similar to a policy that PDE received from a public records request to Maine School Administrative District 15 in which the superintendent of the district explained to PDE that the policy was created by the Maine School Boards Association (MSBA). The policy appears to explain that students can identify as transgender without parental consent by stating that either students “or” parents can contact administrators about the issue:

A transgender student and/or his/her parent(s)/guardians(s) should contact the building administrator or the student’s guidance counselor.

Staff and students are mandated to use the preferred pronouns of other students: “A student who has been identified as transgender under these guidelines should be addressed by school staff and other students by the name and pronoun corresponding to their gender identity that is consistently asserted at school.” Students are allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender identity.

The district also provided PDE with a document labeled as “transgender student protocol.” This document notably asks: “Under what circumstances will the student’s parent or guardian be notified of issues?”