HUSH, HUSH: Iowa schools not informing parents of ‘preferred pronouns, gender identity’ of students unless students approve

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Iowa parents may be surprised to know that teachers and administrators inside Iowa public schools are potentially keeping secrets from them about their children when it comes to their children’s preferred pronoun or “gender identity.”

Last year, Senate File 80 attempted to address this, but the bill failed to advance.

According to LGBTQ+ Admin Guidelines, a document from the Iowa City Community School District, students will disclose their gender/pronouns when desired, staff will use the name and pronouns a student designates and nobody is to assume they can share information about a person’s gender with anyone — including family — without the student’s consent.

The document goes on to cite Iowa Code Section 216.9, which the document makes clear that every student has the right to be addressed by a “name and pronouns that correspond to the student’s gender identity.”

This means students are to be addressed by their preferred name and pronoun, student records are to be updated and maintained with the name and appropriate gender markers, and students are to be asked privately how they want to be addressed in class or with their family.

So, it appears Iowa schools are hiding from parents the preferred pronouns and gender identity of students entrusted to their care.

Author: Jacob Hall