Some Olathe students and teachers question standing gender identity, parental notification policy

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE POLICY? 

The rules govern what happens when a student shares their preferred pronouns with a district employee. For example, if a student informs a teacher they have decided to go by a new name or pronouns, that teacher and building administration is expected to inform their parents. Some community members object to the guidance because it makes staff include other people in the conversation.

That can be dangerous, some students say, because it could force an educator to “out” a student to their parents who may not be ready to share that information or may not be from a family that would support them. 

Last week, at the Olathe school board meeting, the issue wasn’t on the formal meeting agenda in any capacity, but it resurfaced, presumably following an October article from the Olathe North High student newspaper the Chronicle that led the most recent print edition. 

STUDENTS AND STAFF PUSHBACK 

Addison Bartelli, a senior at Olathe East High, is the president of the Gender Sexuality Alliance at their school and said they are “genderless." Their parents are supportive of their identity, but not every student can count on that. 

“My parents have been nothing but wonderful, and this guidance has not affected me negatively,” Bartelli said, “but I personally know others for whom this guidance is doing great harm. These students come from homes that are proven to be unsafe, and now school is no safe place. … Why do we have these specific students robbed of their opportunity to be seen, heard and safe in the place where they spend most of their time?”

Michael Hanzelka, a senior at Olathe North and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, alluded to the same concerns. 

“I know many, many students who cannot come out to their parents for fear of abuse or displacement, and school is the only place they can be themselves,” Hanzelka said. “If teachers are to follow best practice as described in the guidance, they would end up ‘outing’ the students to their parents and potentially putting that student’s safety in jeopardy. But if they don't, there is no guarantee a student can use their preferred name or pronouns in the classroom. It is a lose-lose situation.” 

Logan McAlister, an English teacher at East and the adviser for the school’s GSA student organization, is “openly gay.” Though he said the Olathe school district’s stance isn’t as extreme as other Johnson County districts that have required students who are transgender to use restrooms that align with the sex assigned at birth or prohibited them from playing some sports, it’s “simply unacceptable and unnecessary.” 

“I am a second year teacher who came into this profession to provide students a safe and brave space,” McAlister said. “Kids that we teach all share one thing in common; they want to be loved and respected. Love comes in many forms. Appreciation for doing a good job, accolades for winning an award, or even something as simple as being called by a preferred name and/or pronoun or using a restroom that aligns with their gender identity.” 

He also said it’s counter to the district’s growing emphasis on social emotional learning and well-being. 

“‘Outing’ our transgender students and not being able to provide a safe space for them is not what is best for their development,” McAlister said. “We as a district cannot ban students from being their authentic self. School is not just a place for growing academically, it is a place for all students to grow socially and emotionally as they explore who they want to become.” 

SCHOOL DISTRICT STANCE 

Last year, superintendent Brent Yeager said the policy came to be because there was a gap — without common guidance, some schools or even some classrooms in the same school could be handling gender identity and preferred pronouns differently. The intent, he said, was not to put kids at risk. 

“We are not looking for a substantial change in practice,” he said last year. “Our intent is not to ‘out’ our students.”

The guidance itself didn’t come from the Olathe Board of Education, but was an administrative policy drafted within USD 233’s leadership. It became public in December 2021 with community members and students pushing back. 

According to a letter sent by the Kansas ACLU at the time, the policy is a “constitutional violation.” It stated that telling a student’s preferred pronouns, gender identity or sexual identity to a parent, guardian or other school official without express permission from the student violates their privacy and the law. 

At the time, some school board members seemed keen to continue a discussion on the gender identity guidance, but so far, nothing on the matter has been discussed publicly since.