(HorizonPost.com) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach last Thursday announced that some school districts in the state were still permitting teachers and staff to let students use different pronouns and names without notifying their parents, the Associated Press reported.
In late 2023, the attorney general contacted six school districts challenging their policy of concealing from parents if their child “identifies” as transgender or “gender non-conforming,” according to a February 8 press release.
Kobach argued in the press release that parents should be informed and involved if their child was changing gender identity since it “has major long-term medical and psychological ramifications.”
In letters to the six districts, Kobach informed them that their policies were a violation of parental rights and asked if the districts got input from parents before adopting their policies to keep parents in the dark.
After receiving the letter, two districts rescinded or updated their policies, and informed the attorney general that they would not cut parents out.
Of the other four districts — Kansas City Schools, Olathe, Topeka, and Shawnee Mission – some denied parents were kept in the dark if their children were socially transitioning, despite the Attorney General quoting directly the districts’ policies on not notifying parents in his letters.
An additional letter was sent to the Kansas Association of School Boards after receiving evidence that the association may have promoted school policies not to notify parents. The association declined to respond to the letter.
Last year, Kobach, a Republican, temporarily blocked Democrat Governor Laura Kelly’s administration from allowing so-called transgenders from changing their name and gender on state birth certificates and driver’s licenses.
Currently, five states have enacted laws that require school districts to inform parents if their child is “socially transitioning.” Six other states have laws encouraging districts to inform parents.
In Kansas, lawmakers introduced legislation last year that would bar schools from allowing students to transition without parental approval. However, the bill failed to clear the committee.
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