ATGLEN, PA — A group of Octorara Area School District parents and community members gathered at Monday night’s board meeting to challenge the district’s transgender guidelines.
The district’s transgender guidelines allow staff to provide students who identify as transgender and nonbinary with counseling and services without parental consent. Dr. Michele M. Orner, Superintendent of Schools, delivered a statement, at the beginning of the meeting, insisting the district’s practice is to encourage students to involve their parents in conversations about their gender identity. However, Orner stressed that a student’s right to privacy takes precedence.
The transgender guidelines at the Octorara School District have caused quite a stir among parents who pointed out that the district recognizes that parents have educational rights, must sign report cards and IEPs, and are entitled to be informed about their child’s education and well-being. Moreover, the district has actual policies in place requiring communication with parents on issues of student well-being. However, when it comes to transgender transitioning, the Octorara Area School District asserts a child’s right to privacy. The district maintains the transgender guidelines are designed to ensure students have access to the support they need.
Some parents feel that the district is moving too quickly on this issue, without fully considering the implications or scientific evidence. Others believe that the district is not doing enough to protect the rights of all students. And still, others believe that the district is placing the desires of the few ahead of the needs of the many. At least one parent accuses the district of hiding these practices as general guidelines rather than publicly voting on them as a policy. Whatever their individual beliefs, it is clear that parents and community members are deeply invested in this issue and want to see the best possible outcome for all students.
Despite parents voicing their concerns and wanting answers, the Octorara Area School District Board of Directors has refused to discuss why these practices were not made policy, why they have not had a public vote, and if these guidelines have been reviewed and signed off by the district’s solicitor. This has led to frustration and confusion among parents, who feel that their concerns are not being heard or taken seriously. It remains to be seen how the Board will address this issue moving forward, but for now, some parents are left feeling unheard.
Several days prior to Monday’s meeting, MyChesCo reached out to Mr. Brain Fox, Board President, with a series of questions about the guidelines. MyChesCo’s questions focused on why the district was creating guidelines rather than actual policies, who was responsible for creating the guidelines, how the district planned to ensure that the guidelines met community standards, and whether or not parents would have a role in decisions that impacted their minor children. Mr. Fox and the Octorara Area School District have not yet released a statement in response to MyChesCo’s questions.
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