Okemos Public Schools has policy to keep gender identity of students hidden from parents

Okemos Public Schools has a policy in place titled “Student Gender Identity” that explicitly states that the gender identity of students can be hidden from parents. This policy was adopted on March 20, 2023. The policy states:

The District prefers to work in conjunction with a student’s parents/guardians; however, a student may not have informed the parents/guardians of the student’s gender identity. In this case, administrators should involve the school counselor and/or social worker and consider the health, safety, and well-being of the student as the paramount consideration in decisions regarding parent/guardian notification.

The policy later adds:

Unless authorized by law, district staff will not disclose information that may reveal a student’s birth name or sex assigned at birth, or that those differ from the student’s preferred name and preferred gender pronouns to others, including parents/guardians and other school staff.

Students will also have access to the restrooms and locker rooms that match their preferred gender identity. The policy further states that “supportive environments that acknowledge and affirm a student’s gender identity is a protective factor that improves health and educational outcomes.”

The policy appears to be written by the Thrun Law Firm in Michigan and has the law firm’s logo in the bottom left corner. The law firm claims to “represent the vast majority of school districts in Michigan.”