Michigan middle school hides student’s “gender transition” from parents

A Michigan middle school kept a student’s “gender transition” from parents, citing “obligations” under Title IX. The revelation comes from an email obtained and reported by Fox News. 

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A Michigan middle school kept a student’s “gender transition” from parents, citing “obligations” under Title IX. The revelation comes from an email obtained and reported by Fox News

A Richards Middle School counselor instructed teachers in an email to refer to a middle school student – a biological male who now identifies as a female – by birth name and gender in conversations with the mother in order to hide information about the gender transition. 

But teachers were told to refer to the student with a new name and pronoun in the absence of the parent. 

When reached for comment by Fox News, a spokesperson for the school did not deny that the transgender status of the student was concealed from the parent, only stating that the district is “mindful of and compliant” with Title IX laws.  

This follows a Biden administration mandate that interprets Title IX protections regarding discrimination to extend to “gender identity.” But many parents, politicians and school groups disagree with that interpretation.  

The middle school also appears to be going beyond what is required by the official guidance of the Michigan Department of Education. 

“When students have not come out to their parent(s), a disclosure to parent(s) should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis,” the approved department guidance states. “School districts should consider the health, safety, and well-being of the student, as well as the responsibility to keep parents informed. Privacy considerations may vary with the age of the students.” 

A spokesperson for the Michigan DOE told Fox News that adherence to the approved guidance is “voluntary and should not be considered mandates or requirements,” adding, “Decisions by districts to utilize this guidance should be made at the local level employing the normal community input process.” 

Title IX laws, which the Fraser spokesperson cited, do not include language that would suggest the withholding of information from parents, either. Nor does the Biden administration’s guidance on Title IX. 

“Parents are more than entitled to know everything about their children,” Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for education studies at Family Research Council, told the Washington Stand. “It’s not [the school’s] place to supersede the role of the parent. So anybody who would hide things from parents is putting themselves in the place of the parent, and that’s very dangerous for children.” 

Policy experts are concerned that withholding gender identity information from parents is becoming all-too-common at schools across the country.  

“The fact that the schools see themselves as the very best advocates for children is just bizarre,” Kilgannon said. “And it’s very dangerous for children, because parents are the best protectors of their children.”