A policy of the Manchester School District allowing students to keep their gender identity private while at school is being upheld by the New Hampshire Supreme Court after a lawsuit was filed by a parent of a transgender student.
The student’s mother filed the suit after finding out that her child was using a different name and pronouns at school. She argued that the school shielding this information was inhibiting her ability to parent, therefore violating her parental rights; I would argue that this policy is in no way hindering either, and it is being upheld for good reason.
The policy was put into effect in 2021 and states school staff should “respect the wishes of a student not to disclose their transgender status outside of school.”
However, the policy does not ask students to do the same. Parents are easily able to find out information through other sources, whether that be their own children or somewhere else; it just can’t be from the school staff.
I think this is acceptable because it allows the students to feel their privacy is valued and respected at school, especially for those who don’t feel it’s safe to share their transgender status at home. The mother who filed the lawsuit did not approve of her child’s status.
This policy does, however, honor the safety of the student first. Unless the school feels the student’s transgender status is putting them at risk, the information should remain confidential, to which I agree. I feel a student should never have to worry about private information being disclosed against their wishes unless their physical or mental well-being is in jeopardy.
The justices declared in a 3-to-1 ruling that this policy does not inhibit any parental ability to care for or raise their child. Justice Melissa Countway argued that withholding this information from parents “interferes with a parent’s fundamental right to parent.” Countway states that understanding a child’s gender status is crucial to assisting and guiding that child.
I can understand where she is coming from, as transitions can be a difficult or confusing time, especially for those who feel they have no support. A parent’s knowledge of the child’s transition would be beneficial to help guide them and get them the support they need.
However, like the student whose mother filed the lawsuit, not all parents are accepting the idea of transitions for their children. I feel students who felt supported at home would share this information, and those who didn’t would ask for it to be kept confidential.
To counter Countway’s point, there could be students who are unsure of the level of support they’d receive at home, or even at school, which raises concern for anxiety, depression or even self-harm.
This is why it is crucial to make school a safe space so students understand they can get the help they need, which is what this policy is aiming to do. Again, the policy states that any concern that the student’s well-being was at risk would require this information to be shared with parents.
Furthermore, I think a parent’s concern for not knowing this information should only come from a place of not knowing how to support their child, and not from what their child’s gender identity is.
I understand that, biologically, males and females are different. However, I do not think it is the difference in sex that requires a difference in parenting, but the difference in a child’s behavior.
Jaden Johnson can be contacted at
