6th CA School District Adopts Policy to Inform Parents of Child’s Gender Change.
A sixth California school board passed a parent notification policy that will require schools to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender amid a statewide debate over the issue.
It was nearly midnight when the seven-member Orange Unified School Board passed the policy 4–0— with Trustees Andrea Yamasaki, Ana Page, and Kris Erickson absent at the time of the vote—on its second reading at a Sept. 8 meeting that began at 7 p.m.
The board’s conservative board majority—President Rick Ledesma, along with Trustees Madison Miner, Angie Rumsey, and John Ortega—approved the policy. The three opposing trustees walked out of the meeting before the vote.
The new rule requires schools to notify parents in writing within three days if their child identifies as transgender, is involved in violence, or communicates thoughts of suicide.
Under the policy, parents are also to be notified if their child requests to use names, pronouns, bathrooms, or locker rooms that don’t “align with the student’s biological sex or gender,” asks to participate in athletic programs that don’t align with the student’s biological sex, or requests to change information in his or her school records.
Orange Unified’s policy is based on a similar policy recently enacted by five other districts in the state: Chino Valley Unified, Murietta Valley Unified, Temecula Valley Unified, the Anderson Union High School District, and Rocklin Unified.
Exceptions Added to Policy
However, Orange Unified opted to make several changes to its own version, as outlined by Ms. Miner ahead of the vote.
Under Orange Unified’s policy, school staff is to first refer students to the school counselor, who will then consult with the principal. The principal is responsible for notifying parents of their child’s wish to transition so the parent can be included in the school counseling.
Exceptions will be made for children over 12 years old who do not wish for their parents to be informed, and for cases where the school counselor or principal “has reasonable cause to believe that involvement of the [parent] would result in a clear and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the student of any age.”
“I believe in this policy,” Ms. Miner said. “I believe it will elevate every child’s chance for personal success and happiness. I believe in teaching critical thinking skills necessary to recognize and discern truth … By sacrificing truth on the altar of ideology, you are putting the schools and by extension, our children, at risk.”
Ms. Miner addressed some of the opposition’s concerns ahead of the vote, saying that if the child’s home life is unsafe, teachers as mandated reporters should have already reported the family to social services.
“If there is a problem with a bad parent, teachers are already mandated reporters, and they should connect with law enforcement if there is a legitimate concern about a child’s safety
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