North Kingstown School Department has policy to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

The North Kingstown School Department has a policy in place titled “Transgender and Non-Binary Students.” The policy explicitly states that the gender identity of students can be hidden from parents: “District staff may not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender identity to others, including, but not limited to, parents, students, volunteers, or other district staff, unless legally required to do so, or unless the student has explicitly authorized such disclosure or in a health or safety emergency, where disclosure is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.” The policy then states:

When communicating with a student’s parent/guardian school personnel should be aware that the student may not have disclosed their gender identity to their parents. When school personnel find it important to discuss a student’s gender identity or expression with parents, personnel should consult and work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the parent is aware of the student’s gender identity or expression and is supportive of the student, and school personnel shall take into consideration the safety, health and well-being of the student in deciding whether to disclose the student’s gender identity or expression to parents.

The policy further states: “Students have the right to tell building administration or staff how they want to be addressed in class, in correspondence to the home, or at conferences with the student’s parent/ guardian and can request to whom/how this information is shared with other staff in the building.”

Staff are mandated to use the preferred pronouns 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.”

Students are allowed to use the “restrooms, locker rooms, changing facilities, or overnight facilities” that match their preferred gender identity. Students are also allowed to participate in sports according to their preferred gender identity.