LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — The LGBTQIA community has long highlighted the nerve-wracking experience of coming out to parents. Now, a school board member in Wilson County wants to draft a policy that would require school employees to notify parents when a student confidentially shares plans to identify as a different gender.
This idea has sparked opposition from parents and other members of the board for the rights and well-being of LGBTQ+ students.
During the most recent Wilson County school board work session meeting, member Joseph Padilla brought up the discussion of a new school policy inspired by similar measures implemented by school boards in Florida.
Under this idea, school employees would be mandated to inform parents or guardians if their child identifies as a gender that does not align with their assigned sex at birth while at school.
"I don't understand why this wouldn't be something. This is common sense to me that we would tell a parent if a child comes to the school and says that," Padilla said.
He emphasized the importance of parental involvement in addressing mental health concerns, stating that it is crucial for parents to have full knowledge of their child's well-being.
However, opponents of this unofficial plan contend that it poses significant risks to the affected students.
Nicole Hobbs, a mother of four with three boys attending Wilson County schools, expressed her concern, drawing comparisons to her experiences in her home state of California.
"I often hear, 'Don't 'California my Tennessee,' and I don't think they realize that they've California-ed here in Tennessee, but it's in regard to right-wing politics," Hobbs said.
She stated her worries about recent rules from the school board, and described her shock upon watching a recording of the work session meeting where the idea was discussed.
"It's very frustrating to when you have a board member whose children don't even go to the public schools. They're in private school, so any sort of policy he's putting in place does not affect his own children. It affects everyone else's, but not his," Hobbs said.
She argued that such policies fail to consider the potential harm they may cause to students who are already vulnerable.
"It's not going to end well for those kids. And it breaks my heart that people actually believe these types of policies are protecting kids because they're not," she said.
Padilla defended this plan, highlighting the mental health crisis prevalent in schools and the need for collaborative decision-making between parents and professionals.
"When children express a possible mental health issue to anyone, including school employees, the parents deserve to be notified. The only way to diagnose and treat a child should be made collaboratively by the child's parents and a licensed professional. Let the parents know!" he said in a statement.
The issue is set to be addressed in the upcoming school board meeting, providing an opportunity for public comments.
Wilson County School board chair said Padilla's plan was never a proposed policy and no such policy has been drafted and added into the agenda.
Since no plan has been drafted there is no proposal for board members to vote on.
Additionally, Padilla revealed that he is also working on a separate proposal that would allow parents to opt their children out of classrooms where teachers display flags or stickers representing ideologies that parents may oppose.
