If a minor student identifies at school as transgender and wants to be addressed by a name of the opposite gender and be referred to by personal pronouns of the gender opposite to the gender at birth, should the school be able to inform the parents? Or have to inform parents?
A live, virtual, Google Meet/Chat presentation was made to faculty at Ridge View High School yesterday (3/7/2022) by Helen Grant, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Richland 2.
There is apparently no written policy at Richland 2 for dealing with the transgender issue. So what happens when a 15-year-old boy decides he wants to be a girl and heads for the girl's restroom?
Should a teacher stop that kid? What happens if a teacher does stop that kid? When the lawyers for the kid show up, will Richland 2 vigorously defend the teacher? Or will the District throw that teacher under the bus?
There apparently is an unwritten policy that teachers and staff will not inform the parents. Do you agree?
One of the callers to me expressed worries about the high suicide rate among transgender teens.
If the District (ex., a teacher) knows that a kid is transgender but doesn't inform the parents and the kid dies by suicide, who is out on the end of the tree limb while Administration is standing next to the trunk with the chainsaw?
Should the school board and the superintendent step up and acknowledge their responsibility? Should they develop a clear, written policy that is not ambiguous to the teachers and staff? Should the responsibility be at the top of the food chain?
I submitted a request for a copy of the recording of the meeting at RVHS. Will I get it? That question shouldn't take long to answer.
What if you request it? Will you get it?
Should the recording be on the District's website, in an easily-found spot? And not buried 15 clicks down, way down out of sight? Should parents know what teachers are being told?
Are school counselors the right people to guide a youth with gender-identity questions? Are school counselors highly-trained in narrow mental health fields and qualified to help children understand their sexuality?
Post your comments and questions below.