Note: This article has been updated with comments from Brunswick County Schools.
On Tuesday, the Brunswick County Board of Education unanimously passed a measure requiring school personnel to notify parents when their child asks to use a different name or pronoun.
The measure was part of a policy overhaul required by the North Carolina General Assembly. Last month, the state legislature overrode Governor Roy Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 49, also known as the Parents' Bill of Rights. The law gives parents a broader say over what their children learn and how their children behave in school.
Proponents of the bill say that these laws give parents more agency over their children. But Woody Goff, the new executive director of the LGBTQ Center for the Cape Fear Coast, said that the new policy infringes on children's privacy.
"We're asking teachers to potentially out trans students if they use different pronouns at school, if they go by a different name," Goff said. "We're taking a relationship that should be one of safety, and we're really tearing that apart."
In the United States, trans youth face higher rates of abuse and neglect from their families. Critics worry that mandatory reporting laws can expose children to further abuse from their families.
"It's no secret that for trans and queer youth, suicidal ideation is very prevalent. And so putting them in a situation where they're now unsafe or unsure of their safety – mentally, that's really harmful for them," said Goff. "And could end up being physically harmful for them, depending on, you know, where their parents and family fall on accepting them."
The law also codifies parental rights to review and object to instructional material in schools like textbooks and chapter books. According to Senate Bill 49, principals now have a 10-day deadline to respond to parents' requests for review. There are also tighter requirements on how to respond to parental objections.
School districts across North Carolina are beginning to update their policies in accordance with the new law. Brunswick County is the first school board in the Cape Fear region to do so. New Hanover County Schools acknowledged the policy change during its meeting on Tuesday night, and said officials would be implementing updates soon.
Below: Questions sent to Brunswick County Schools and the responses.
Someone at the meeting last night mentioned that Brunswick County Schools’ Board of Education has been advocating for these policies for a long time. It’s my understanding that these policy updates were mandated by the state, but I did want to ask how the board has been advocating for parental rights prior to its passage.
The majority of the Brunswick County Board of Education was in favor of supporting the Parents’ Bill of Rights and believes that parents or guardians should be actively involved in their student’s education. In addition, many members of the Board of Education had conversations with our elected state representatives to express their support.
Critics of the policy changes around pronouns/names say they will forcibly out trans students to their parents, potentially exposing them to abuse and transphobia in the home. What is Brunswick County Schools’ response to these criticisms?
As a special-purpose government entity, Brunswick County Schools is tasked with complying with any laws that are passed by our elected representatives. Once the Parents’ Bill of Rights became law our district was required to follow it.
What is Brunswick County Schools doing to support LGBTQ students at this time?
Brunswick County Schools strives to create an equitable learning environment for all students using a comprehensive system of support for academic and character-focused teaching. The district acknowledges the unique needs of every learner as our schools work to provide educational programming based on the needs of all of our students. Through student support services, parent engagement, and community partnerships, the district fosters an inclusive learning environment that recognizes the value of all students in our community of learners.
