Anna Independent School District in North Texas has been caught hiding information from a parent involving her child’s “gender identity” during school hours. An investigation by Government watchdog group Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) found that the child used cross-sex pronouns and dressed as the opposite sex while at school, socially transitioning without parental knowledge. CDF found that Anna ISD kept a "non-permanent record" on the child for over a year, reflecting the name change and new pronouns. However, the school did not notify the mother about the record or the child's mental health issues.
“The lack of transparency, coupled with the failure to seek parental consent for pronoun usage, name changes, and the concealment of mental health issues, has prompted legal action by parents nationwide,” CDF-Collin County spokesman Dan Thomas said. CDF found that the actions by Anna ISD violated parental rights under Texas Education Code Sections 26.004(b) and 26.008(a). These sections grant parents the right to information regarding their child’s school activities, as well as any written records, including counseling and psychological records.
The investigation follows a similar story of two parents in a Michigan school district that sued the school for their female child using male pronouns without their knowledge. Despite the school having had regular contact with the parents in the past regarding the child's mental health, as well as a recent autism diagnosis, the school did not inform the parents that their child was now using male pronouns. “No one with the school district told them that the school district had begun to treat her as a boy by calling her a masculine name and by male pronouns,” Attorney Vincent Wagner said.
Stories like this have been getting more and more common over the last few years. Parents Defending Education published a list in March 2023 showing that nearly 6,000 schools nationwide had rules that prevent teachers and staff from disclosing a student’s gender identity to the parents without the student’s permission. This affected more than 3.2 million students. The list has since grown to over 18,000 schools, affecting nearly 11 million students. Although it may seem like a niche concern, the truth is that schools across the nation are grappling with the gender identity issue. And this lack of transparency will only serve to undermine the role that parents have in deciding what is best for their child's education and upbringing.
REFERENCES
Citizens Defending Freedom. (2024, January 3). A CDF Investigation Uncovers a Texas School District Hiding Student Gender Identity from Parents. https://www.citizensdefendingfreedom.com/post/a-cdf-investigation-uncovers-a-texas-school-district-hiding-student-gender-identity-from-parents
FindLaw. (2021, April 14). Texas Education Code - EDUC § 26.004. Access to Student Records.
FindLaw. (2021, April 14). Texas Education Code - EDUC § 26.008. Right to Full Information Concerning Student. https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/education-code/educ-sect-26-008.html
New York Post. (2023, March 8). Nearly 6,000 US public schools hide child’s gender status from parents. https://nypost.com/2023/03/08/us-public-schools-conceal-childs-gender-status-from-parents/
Parents Defending Education. 2023, March 7). List of School District Transgender-Gender Nonconforming Student Policies. https://defendinged.org/investigations/list-of-school-district-transgender-gender-nonconforming-student-policies/
Texas Scorecard. (2024, January 3). North Texas School District Caught Hiding Student’s Gender Confusion from Parents. https://texasscorecard.com/local/north-texas-school-district-caught-hiding-students-gender-confusion-from-parents/
WGHP-TV Greensboro. (2023, December 20). Alliance Defending Freedom, parents sue school district for using child’s requested pronouns. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/alliance-defending-freedom-parents-sue-school-district-for-using-child-s-requested-pronouns/ar-AA1lNJi0