‘We Never Notify Parents’ of Child’s Gender Transition: Rhode Island School Board Member

A member of Rhode Island’s North Kingstown School District suggested schools should “never” inform parents of their child’s gender identity struggles.

“On parental right to information, I don’t think parents should be notified,” the individual said. “Simply because society assumes that every child has a well-meaning family. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is involve the parent into some of these issues, based on their own beliefs and their own cultures, and that will cause that student to commit suicide.”

“If you tell a student who’s trusted you, who’s come out to say, ‘I’m lesbian,’ and you go back and tell the parent, that child has no faith in that school system ever again, and will never come forward with any information.”

“My point would be that we never notify parents on these issues,” the board member added. “Unless the child’s life is in danger. Then we have to err on the side of implied consent, that if we need to, we have to.”

In September, “Parents Defending Education,” a group committed to involving parents in education, published a list showing over 1,000 school districts across the country that “openly state that district personnel can or should keep a student’s transgender status hidden from parents.”

“We are still getting tips that are pouring in every day,” said the group’s president, Nicole Neily. “We actually released this number initially in March, and then we identified about 200 counties.”

The number “keeps growing across the country,” she added.