Orange Unified School District is set to consider a policy this week that would require certain school officials to notify parents if their child is “requesting to be identified or treated” as a different sex or gender.
As the proposed policy is written now, situations that would warrant parental notification include requests to use different names or pronouns as well as requests to change sex-segregated programs such as athletic teams or changing facilities that differ from the student’s “assigned biological sex at birth.”
The policy says it would be up to a principal or designee, certified staff or school counselor to inform parents or guardians within three school days once the district administrator or certified staff becomes aware that a child might be transgender.
“This proposed Board Policy is recommended in order to support the fundamental rights of parents/guardians to be informed of and involved in important aspects of their student’s education during the school year,” the agenda description reads.
The Orange Unified Education Association expressed concerns about this policy, alleging it “violates the California State Constitution and U.S. Constitution which ensures privacy as an inalienable right.”
“This policy proposal is a distraction, it is political and it is designed to further create chaos in our community,” said OUEA President Greg Goodlander. “The Board majority seems so concerned about raising test scores and student learning that they approved leasing a property to a charter school which is suddenly not going to open, and now this policy proposal which will have no positive effect on test scores.”
If the policy is adopted, Goodlander said, it would “drain financial resources to combat litigation when those resources should be spent supporting instruction and retaining staff.”
“Teachers and staff support all students and their families, and that includes the LGBT community,” Goodlander said. “This…
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