SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER: Springfield school district not forthright about its gender identity policy

The Springfield News-leader published an article titled “Group says SPS cuts parents out of gender identity decisions. Records show otherwise.” The article addressed the Sunshine request of Parents Defending Education to obtain district documents pertaining to students who identify as transgender or non-binary. The article quoted an SPS spokesperson stating “Our practices, outlined in those documents, make it clear that parents and guardians are key to navigating these sensitive issues with students. It is unfair and incorrect to suggest otherwise.” While it is true that correspondence and conferencing with parents are “recommended” in the documents titled “Transgender Student Recommendations” and “Student Pronouns Recommendations,” recommendations are not enforceable as policy.