A Long Island middle school has come under fire for allegedly failing to tell parents about a question on a student survey asking about sexual orientation and whether they identify as “transgender” or “non-binary.”
A concerned community member provided Parents Defending Education, a nonprofit group that says it empowers parents to advocate for their children's education, with a copy of the survey allegedly given to seventh graders at Berner Middle School.
PDE was also provided a letter from Massapequa School District Assistant Superintendent Thomas Fasano notifying parents their children would receive the survey created by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
“As we have over the past several years, the Massapequa Public School District has agreed to participate this Spring in the 2021 – 2022 NYS Youth Development Survey, funded by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) for our students in grades 7-12,” said Fasano’s letter to parents. “This statewide survey is designed to improve our community’s understanding of our students’ strengths and the risks they may face for developing health problems like smoking, underage drinking and other substance abuse.”
Fasano’s letter to parents also notified them they could opt their children out of receiving the survey and provided a form to do so, but it did not indicate there would be questions on the survey about sexuality and gender identity.
In a statement to The National Desk (TND), Massapequa School District Superintendent Dr. William Brennan said parents were "made aware that a copy of the survey was available to them" so they could "review all of the content included."
"As in years past, the district shared the New York State Youth Development Survey with parents explaining that it was voluntary, anonymous and students were not required to answer all of the questions." Dr. Brennan said. "Additionally, parents were provided with a direct contact in central administration to discuss the survey in depth, if desired. Specific information on the methodology of questions can be answered by the state."
Disclosure policies around sex education in schools have been a point of contention in multiple states recently.
“It has become common practice and policy in school districts all across the country to hide information related to gender identity from parents,” a PDE spokesperson told TND in May.
“In addition to that troubling, and arguably illegal practice, we see countless examples of individual teachers initiating inappropriate conversations with students about sexuality and gender ideology. This Pennsylvania school is not an outlier, unfortunately.”