MARYLAND (WBFF) — A federal challenge to an Anne Arundel County Schools policy has put new attention on a question Maryland public school districts answer very differently: When a student asks to use a different name or pronouns at school, must the parents be told?
There is not a legally binding standard under state or federal law, leaving each jurisdiction to develop its own policy. A Baltimore Sun review of Maryland school district policies in the region found a patchwork of approaches.
Carroll County requires parental involvement when a student asks to use a different name, while Baltimore City allows students to use a chosen name or pronouns without automatic parental notification. Anne Arundel requires family involvement unless school officials identify a safety concern.
Although there is no statewide requirement for parental notification, the Maryland State Department of Education requires school systems to address students by the name and pronouns that correspond with their preferred gender identity, regardless of whether either is changed legally.
Read the full story on The Baltimore Sun.
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