Upper Moreland School District mandates that teachers keep the gender identity of students secret from parents, even in elementary school; encourages transgender students to report perceived bullying to the police

The Upper Moreland School District has “Codes of Conduct” for the elementary, middle, and high schools within the district for the 2022-2023 school year. All three “Codes of Conduct” contain an identical section titled “Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students” that explicitly explains that the gender identity of students should be kept secret from parents. The policy states:

School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s gender identity or gender nonconformity to others, including parents and other school personnel, unless the student has authorized such disclosure.

The “Codes of Conduct” then explain that students can use the restroom and locker room that “corresponds to their gender identity.” The district further elaborates that students have “the right to be addressed by their preferred name or pronoun and have their preferred name, pronoun, or gender listed on their records.”

The school district also has a document online titled “Transgender Procedures.” In this document, the district proudly supports students identifying as transgender:

Recent studies indicate that the life of a transgender person can be “vastly challenging and rife with discrimination.” It can also be “joyful, triumphant, and transformative” for the person and those around them. In order to provide a welcome and successful educational environment, Upper Moreland is proud to accept students who identify as transgender.

The document explains that students have a “right” to “be called their preferred name by all teachers, administrators, and staff members” and to “use the bathroom and/or locker rooms and/or play sports for the gender with which they identify.” In the document, the district encourages students who feel bullied for being transgender to “make a police report.”

The document also includes a “Name and Gender Change Form” that students can complete. The form allows students to write their “preferred name” and “preferred gender.” This must be done with parent approval unless the student has turned eighteen or is emancipated from the parents. The form then states:

By completing this form and signing below, I agree that I am requesting that the District change my school records to reflect my preferred name and gender, which is a change from how I was registered in the school district during my original enrollment. I further understand and acknowledge that all school records will now reflect my preferred name and gender, including but not limited to, high school diploma, award certificates, transcripts, class records, yearbook photos, email address, testing records, etc.