The Minnesota Parents Alliance (MPA) has shared a letter that it says was written by a parent concerned about the newly implemented policies of Rochester Public Schools (RPS) regarding transgender students.
Under the new policy, the district will share information with parents about whether their children are identifying as transgender while at school only “if a parent or guardian requests information about their child who is under the age of 18.” One school board member unsuccessfully attempted to amend the policy to require parental notice.
“So how would a parent know to request such information if they aren’t aware that their child is struggling with gender dysphoria? How would a parent be able to care for and support their student if the school never reached out to them?” former Rochester school counselor Christina Barton told Alpha News in an April interview.
Since speaking out, Barton has been kicked out of her union and the school board voted against renewing her contract.
“Many parents do not see their child’s ‘trans’ identity coming,” says the anonymous author of the letter published by MPA. “Schools that withhold this information are robbing parents of necessary time.”
With permission, we are sharing one of the letters that was sent to @RPS535 by a parent who has first-hand, heart-wrentching experience with the way MN public schools are harming students and families by keeping parents at bay while their child struggles. There is nothing…
— Minnesota Parents Alliance (@MNParentsFTW) July 18, 2024
The letter, whose author is identified as a parent of a transgender child, describes some of the distressing experiences faced by families when schools do not communicate with parents about their child’s gender identity. The author, who said they have supported parents of transgender children since 2014, emphasized that many parents are afraid to speak out due to potential backlash.
“These parents remain underground for fear of the consequences they will face for speaking out. I would like to take this opportunity to speak for them by sharing one of their many concerns,” the author writes.
The author voices a critical concern: schools that withhold information about a child’s transgender identity from their parents are depriving them of time that is crucial for parents to understand and address the influences and challenges their children face, including online grooming, inappropriate medical interventions, and peer pressure.
The letter also highlights the dangers of online influence, where children experiencing gender confusion may be led to believe that their distress is solely due to being “trapped in the wrong body,” rather than considering other possible factors.
The letter also includes stories from other parents of transgender children. According to the author of the letter, one parent discovered their diabetic son was ordering cross-sex hormones online from another country; another found that their daughter was self-harming with the intention of undergoing a double mastectomy in the future.
The letter criticizes counselors and therapists who immediately affirm a child’s newly chosen identity without informing parents, arguing that this approach overlooks underlying issues and can exacerbate family distress. The author recounts their own tragic experience of losing contact with their child shortly after the child asked for help with a medical transition.
“These parents need the time we did not have. Upon coming out in 2014, our child asked us to help with a medical transition. We asked for time. Time to understand what this meant and how to best help. It wasn’t enough time. Six months later our child suddenly disappeared not to be seen by us since,” says the letter.
“You are not ‘outing’ the child as you would with one who identifies as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. You are alerting parents that their vulnerable child is taking part in a powerful social intervention and that they are at great risk of harm,” it continues.
The parent urged the school district to reconsider its policies and involve parents in the conversation, allowing them to take appropriate measures in their child’s life before harm occurs.
The group, MPA, said that Minnesota public schools are “harming students and families by keeping parents at bay while their child struggles.”
According to MPA, the letter was sent to Rochester Public Schools during discussion of its new “Supporting Transgender and/or Gender-Expansive Students” policy. This policy, approved on Tuesday night, permits boys who identify as transgender to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms, and allows transgender-identifying boys to share rooms with girls on overnight trips without informing the girls or their parents.
RPS did not respond to Alpha News’ request for comment regarding the public letter.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
