CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATION
NMUSD adopted a "Parental Secrecy Policy"
(BP 5145.3)
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This policy enables district staff to "socially transition" students without parental consent.
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In a span of 33 months, emails show the district began the process of social transitioning and had conversations about gender identity with 23 students without informed parental consent and 8 of these students were in ELEMENTARY school.
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The following emails were obtained through public records requests.
NMUSD AB1266 Gender Support Plan REVISED 10.13.2021.docx
NMUSD
Educators survey students' preferred pronouns
These emails between NMUSD staff reveal that it is protocol for educators to survey students for their preferred pronouns despite "a parent telling [educator] that she did not want her daughter to be asked about sexual identity and referenced a pronoun question on a survey." An NMUSD staff member confirmed, "Per student services, we can ask preferred pronouns in a survey...The district has a gender support plan as needed."
Mental Health Providers will initiate Gender Support Plans in NMUSD
Elementary Schools
This email summarizes a conversation between an NMUSD Elementary Principal and Sarah Coley (Director of Student Services) in which they discuss adding elementary school counselors to assist with gender support plans (GSPs). Then, the Principal instructs a counselor to "build connection" with an elementary student and ask about preferred pronouns. The Principal goes onto warn, "we would not have a guarantee/expectation of privacy when meeting with students in zoom, so something that we all need to be mindful of, especially with elementary."
Local political activist pushes for elementary student gender transition against parent's wishes
In this email, a local political activist emails an elementary school teacher with resources to socially transition a student despite a mother who "is not supportive". The activist recommends a book George - "A TERRIFIC age-appropriate fiction story that explains gender transitions."
Another NMUSD elementary student is socially transitioned without parental consent
This school psychologist emails an elementary school teacher and Principal informing them of a student in need of a gender support plan. The teacher responds that they have already socially transitioned the student in class.
NMUSD sends "Gender & Sexuality Galaxies" to school counselors
To honor Trans Visibility Day, Kristen Henry (former Mental Health and Outreach Coordinator) and Sarah Coley (Director of Student Services) emailed district psychologists and counselors the resources below. One of the writing prompts for students is , "Self-exploration of my sexuality feels like..." Another prompt is "When I was little, my gender galaxy felt like..."
"frick"
Kristen Henry emailed Sarah Coley "frick" when an NMUSD counselor asks, " Do we need parent permission to start doing this activity in classes?"
NMUSD counselor:
"I would be APPAULED if these conversations happened with my kids at school."
In response to the Gender & Sexuality Galaxy activity, an NMUSD counselor replies, "It is not our role to identify students by their differences or to initiate such deep and personal conversations with them...As a parent, I would be APPAULED if these conversations happened with my kids at school."
An overnight NMUSD 6th Grade Science Camp assigns rooms based on "gender identity" instead of biological sex
In an email about 6th grade science camp accommodations, Sarah Coley says, "Parents and students do not get to pick, and saying I don't want to stay with 'Susie' because 'Susie isn't a real girl', is no different than saying 'I don't want to stay with Sara because Sara is white/older/non-religious, etc.'"
"Please use legal name ---, and she/her/hers pronouns when communicating with parents at this time"
This Gender Support Plan (GSP) was sent to another mental health provider. It explicitly asks teachers to deceive parents when communicating with them. "Their identified gender is male and their preferred pronouns are he/him/they...Please use legal name, ---, and she/her/hers pronouns when communicating with parents at this time."
"We have a student...that has said things that lead me to believe we should offer a gender support plan...She's a 5th grader"
A Gender Support Plan (GSP) may be offered to a 5th grader because an NMUSD mental health provider thinks she needs one, not because the student asked for one. "We have a student...that has said things that lead me to believe we should offer a gender support plan...She's a 5th grader." Did her parents provide consent for this psychological intervention?
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"There was a student who wanted to go by a different name/pronouns and parent didn't know about it"
Elementary campuses have monthly "Wellness Team Meetings" to discuss students and refer them for short-term individual or group social emotional/mental health and behavioral supports. Administrators and mental health providers use a referral process codified in a "Wellness Form". Parents are not asked for consent before their children are "evaluated" in these meetings. Further, parents have no transparency as to when their children are discussed.
As a result of "Wellness Team Meetings", Gender Support Plans (GSPs) may be offered....
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"more than 500 students have been discussed and supports implemented at the Elementary level alone."
In November 2021, Kristen Henry (Mental Health and Outreach Coordinator) emailed NMUSD mental health providers and elementary principals. She notes that during "Wellness Team Meetings" "more than 500 students have been discussed and supports implemented at the Elementary level alone."
Were parents properly notified that their children would be subject to psychological evaluations at school?
Were parents notified before "check-ins" and other supports were initiated with mental health counselors?
NMUSD continuing education:
"Implementing Identity Support Plans"
"WE can't change permanent records unless parents consent...but this is a start."
An NMUSD Principal emailed school employees to socially transition a student and said, "WE can't change permanent records unless parents consent and there are are official protocols followed, but this is a start."
"children as early as two are expressing a different gender identity."
Sarah Coley emails an NMUSD nurse: "children as early as two are expressing a different gender identity. It is strongly suggested that teachers privately ask transgender or gender nonconforming students at the beginning of the school year how they want to be addressed in class, in correspondence to the home, or at conferences with the students parents."
"I had students fill out a private Google Form at the beginning of the year asking questions such as preferred name/nickname, pronouns, etc"
An NMUSD teacher emailed district mental health providers saying that she surveyed students about their gender identity and identified a student who wished to gender transition, "--- wrote down they preferred to be referred to as he/him or they/them." Did parents consent to this survey?
"Gender Support Plan - parent consent not required"
An NMUSD Principal attended a professional development presentation and emailed district administrators what he learned: "parental consent is not required for Gender Support Plans." Did the NMUSD Board of Trustees approve this professional development?
"It is encouraged to have parents part of the process but...it is not required."
When a concerned parent emailed administrators asking if name or pronoun changes on student records must be approved by the parents, Sarah Coley responded, “It is encouraged to have parents part of the process but under the law, it is not required.” Sara Coley falsely states that AB1266 allows “district personnel [to] address the student by a name and pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity without parent permission.”
AB1266 discusses sex-segregated school programs and facilities and was voted into law in 2013. NMUSD’s “Parental Secrecy Policy” was adopted 6 years later in 2019.
