BALTIMORE — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is the latest to join a coalition in a brief supporting schools' abilities to protect the privacy of transgender students who have shared their identity with school staff.
The brief argues in support of the Ludlow, Massachusetts school district’s practice of only sharing information on a student’s transgender or gender-nonconforming identity with the student’s parents if the student consents.
It was filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Foote et al. v. Ludlow School Committee et al.
“We have a responsibility to create safe and inclusive educational environments where every student feels respected, accepted, and free to be their authentic selves. In doing so, we create an atmosphere where all students can thrive academically and emotionally,” said Attorney General Brown. “I understand the sensitivities surrounding this issue, but we must empower our students to choose when and how to have these conversations with their families.”
In the brief, supporters argue that requiring schools to share information about students’ gender identity with parents against students’ wishes would cause a number of harms, including undermining the trust between students and teachers, creating impracticable administrative burdens for schools, and improperly inserting school officials into private conversations.
Officials claim that the brief calls on the First Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm a lower court decision dismissing the lawsuit against Ludlow Public Schools.
According to research published by the Trevor Project, LGBTQIA+ youth who report the presence of trusted adults in their school have higher self-esteem than those without access to a trusted adult, including among those who lack support from their family. In addition, LGBTQIA+ youth who found their school and home to be affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
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