Public Schools in Vermont: Policies on Transgender Identity
In Vermont, a report reveals that an alarming 199 public schools have policies allowing staff to keep a child’s transgender identity from their parents. This finding comes from research done by parental rights groups.
Defending Education, a grassroots organization focused on school practices, indicates that around 52,488 students across 37 districts are included under these policies, which permit the concealment of a child’s transgender identity from their families.
The Vermont Department of Education’s “Best Practices” guidelines state, “Except as provided herein, school personnel should not disclose information that might reveal a student’s transgender or gender nonconforming status.” This document warns that revealing such sensitive information could infringe privacy laws like FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
Furthermore, the 2016 brochure recognizes that some students might feel certain about their identities, even if they might not necessarily have gender dysphoria. It encourages schools to create plans that support students while considering parents’ rights to be informed.
The Vermont Department of Education also permits students to maintain their legal name and designated gender in correspondence with schools, effectively sidestepping potential disclosures regarding their gender transitions.
According to the guidelines, “Students may request that only their legal name and designated gender be used in all communications between school and home.” However, school staff must first discuss the matter with the student’s parent or guardian before finalizing how the student will be referred to in communications.
The newspaper has sought commentary from the Vermont Department of Education on this issue.
Vermont boasts over 300 public schools, servicing more than 83,000 students in total. Defending Education’s review of these policies suggests that nearly two-thirds of the state’s public schools have regulations that could enable them to obscure a child’s gender identity from their parents. Many of these policies also allow students to use facilities and compete in sports based on their gender identity.
However, the newspaper has not independently verified Defending Education’s assertion that 199 schools have rules allowing educators to conceal students’ attempts at gender reassignment from their parents.
Some of the policies present certain ambiguities. For example, the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union mentions, “Transgender or gender nonconforming students will be able to openly discuss and express their gender identity and expression, and will be able to decide when, with whom, and to what extent their personal information is shared.”
Education advocates have criticized Vermont’s public education department for not clearly affirming parents’ rights to know if their child is transgender or gender nonconforming. Casey Ryan from Defending Education emphasized, “Parents have a right to know all information regarding the safety and health of their children at school,” arguing that withholding such information from parents is a breach of FERPA.
According to analysis by the Williams Institute, more than 3.3% of American youth aged 13 to 17 identify as transgender, accounting for approximately 724,000 individuals. Remarkably, this age group displays the highest percentage of individual identities among all analyzed age ranges.
Marie Thiemann, president of SpeakVT, criticized the practice of allowing biological boys in women’s facilities. She stated, “Girls should not be forced to undress or change in front of boys as a prerequisite for participating in school-sponsored sports.” Thiemann further asserted that female athletes should not have to compete against male athletes to take part in women-only sports.
