A parental advocacy group has revealed documents relating to a “Gender Support Process and Plan” being put in place by an Illinois boarding school that encourages staff to keep a student’s social gender transition a secret from parents.
Parents Defending Education, a national grassroots organization, published documents last month concerning the Math and Science Academy’s “Gender Support Process and Plan.”
According to the group, the plan is said to be “informed by and modeled after similar plans from Gender Spectrum, Laurie’s Children’s Hospital, and Chicago Public Schools.”
“The plan is intended to ‘guide IMSA in supporting their needs, as well as assisting their social transition while at school,'” Parents Defending Education said.
“Supports ‘may include, but not limited to the following: access to restrooms, locker room accessibility, affirmation of student’s chosen name and pronouns, disclosure of students identity as requested by student, confidentiality of gender identity as requested by student, social-emotional supports, staff training, and other supports expressed by the student.'”
The plan also instructs staff not to disclose a student’s “gender identity” to the child’s parents or guardians unless the student gives them permission.
The school’s Chief Public Affairs and Development Officer Tami Armstrong told The Daily Wire that the plan was introduced in October 2022 but “has not been fully implemented due to resource limitations.”
“The plan is designed to provide guidance and resources for faculty and staff to support the needs of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive students,” Armstrong said. “Support is intended to be personalized based on the specific needs of each student within IMSA’s capacity.”
According to a report Parents Defending Education released last year, more than 1,000 school districts have policies that advise faculty to withhold information from parents if their child is identifying as the opposite sex.
