…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Aurora Regino, a California mother, has filed a lawsuit against the Chico Unified School District, alleging that the district encouraged her 11-year-old daughter to transition from female to male and ignored her request to reveal her gender identity to the family.
The district has a “parental secrecy” policy that allows them not to inform parents if a child identifies as another gender at school.
The school board recently voted to keep this policy in place, arguing that it could save lives by preventing possible violence against children from unsupportive parents.
Allegations against the School District
Regino claims that her daughter was distressed due to her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis and began questioning her sexuality, so she decided to reach out to a wellness counselor at her elementary school.
The counselor affirmed her new male identity, but when the daughter requested that the counselor inform her mother of the situation, the counselor ignored the request and did nothing to support the child or let the family know what was going on at school.
According to Regino, the counselor even pressured her daughter to adopt male pronouns and a male name, causing confusion and stress for the child.
Regino believes that the school violated her fundamental right to direct the upbringing of her child by socially transitioning her daughter without informing her or obtaining her consent.
Arguments in Favor of the Policy
Supporters of the policy argue that schools can be the only safe place for children to explore their gender identity, especially if their home environment is unsupportive or even violent.
They claim that removing the ability for children to control when they come out to their parents could lead to a potentially violent household.
Trans activist Squeaky Saint Francis, who is polyamorous, said that schools must cultivate an environment where students feel trust, safety, and acceptance to be unapologetically themselves without repercussions of backlash.
Commentary
The issue of parental secrecy versus the right to direct the upbringing of a child is a complex and controversial one.
On the one hand, parents have the fundamental right to raise their children and make decisions about their education and well-being.
On the other hand, children have the right to explore their gender identity and express themselves without fear of violence or rejection.
Schools are caught in the middle, trying to balance the needs of the child, the wishes of the family, and the legal requirements imposed by state law.
It is a challenging task, and there are no easy answers.