(PUEBLO) — After some backlash, Pueblo School District 60’s Board of Education
is not moving forward with a new policy involving how a student is identified in school.
The policy failed after two separate votes. Members of the LGBTQ+ community, including parents, faculty, and students, left the meeting upset. The proposed policy would have allowed students to change their names without altering official records.
The controversy surrounds certain circumstances where the district would not notify the parents of these changes that would be if school leaders believe that telling the parent could put the student in danger of physical or mental harm.
“This policy was drafted with good intentions, you know, just having kids have parental consent. But in the reality, it may harm our LGBTQ plus children who have families that are not as supportive of them,” said Devin Klock a Pueblo East senior.
Many parents were not happy about this feeling they should be kept in the loop.
“What’s next? What are they going to tell the parents next? When it comes to my children and our children, no one’s going to keep my child more safe than I am, said Sam Hernandez a concerned parent.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community feel that telling parents how students identify at school could put them in harm’s way.
The board did try to alter the proposed policy after the first vote to pass it failed, by taking out the part about when parents would not be notified, but it wasn’t enough for the board to approve it.
