Mt. Blue Regional School District has policy to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

The Mt. Blue Regional School District has a policy in place titled “Transgender and Gender Expansive Students.” 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 district’s policy explains that the gender identity of students can be hidden from parents:

In the case of a student who has not yet informed their parent(s)/guardian(s), the administrator should first discuss parent/guardian involvement with the student to avoid inadvertently putting the student at risk by contacting their parent(s)/guardian(s).

The district mandates that staff and students use the preferred pronouns of other students: “A student should be addressed by school staff, substitutes, volunteers and other students by the name and pronoun corresponding to their gender identity that is asserted at school.” Students are also allowed to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender identity.