(The Lion) — Nearly 90% of Rhode Island’s public schools would hide a student’s transgenderism from parents, according to their written policies.
Parents Defending Education (PDE) examined all of Rhode Island’s school district policies and found 32 out of 36 explicitly tell school staff to hide student’s gender identity issues from parents.
These policies govern nine out of the state’s 10 largest districts and over 110,000 students.
Rhode Island’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education also treats parents with suspicion in its state guidance.
“Some transgender and gender non-conforming students may hide or keep secret their gender identity at home because they may not feel safe or fear that they will not be accepted,” the policy states. “School personnel should speak with the student first before discussing a student’s gender nonconformity or transgender status with a student’s parent(s) or guardian(s).”
Rhode Island frames school staff as filling the parental role for gender-confused minors.
The guidance continues: “School staff should work closely with the student to assess the degree to which, if any, the family will be involved in the process and must consider the health, well-being, and safety of the transitioning student.”
The state even goes so far as to claim that informing a student’s parents might violate privacy laws.
“All people, including students, have the right to privacy, and this includes the right to keep one’s transgender status private at school,” the policy reads. “Disclosing this information to other students, their parents, or other third parties may violate privacy laws, such as FERPA [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act].”
Nicole Neily, founder and president of PDE, blasted such school policies for eroding the relationship between parents and public schools.
“The Rhode Island schools aren’t just keeping parents in the dark – they’re actively lying to them,” she wrote. “It’s no wonder parents are losing trust and respect with schools. Parents have EVERY right to know what’s happening with their kids.”
While not all Rhode Island districts are going along with the state guidance, the problem is already widespread, even outside of the state.
Some schools in Delaware, Kansas, New Hampshire and Washington, for example, have similar policies.
Now, such school policies run afoul of President Donald Trump’s reaffirmation of biological sex, and may cost schools federal funding.
Shortly after his second inauguration, Trump released an executive order codifying “two sexes, male and female” as the official policy of the United States.
“These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order read. “The Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality.”
