199 Vermont public schools keep students' gender transition secret from parents: Defending Education study

It has been revealed that 199 of more than 300 public schools in Vermont have policies that allow teachers to hide a student's transgender status from their parents, according to the parental rights group, Defending Education. The study found that 37 school districts representing more than 52,480 students have such policies in place intended to support gender dysphoric students who may not have a supportive home environment.

The New York Post reported that each of these schools follows Vermont's Agency of Education's "best practices," a pamphlet that instructs schools not to disclose a student's gender transition in documents shared with their parents to avoid tipping them off about their child's transition to the opposite sex.

"The student may request that all correspondence between the school and the home use only the student's legal name and assigned sex," the pamphlet noted, according to the Post. "School personnel should discuss with the student first before discussing the student's gender identity with the student's parent or guardian, and how written communication with the parent or guardian will refer to the student."

For example, if a female student named Brenda decides to start identifying as a male named Tim in the classroom, the school will still refer to the student as Brenda in documents shared with the child's parents.

Additionally, the majority of the 199 schools allow students to participate in sports in "accordance with their gender identity," as well as use restrooms and other facilities that correspond to their gender status, according to the Defending Education study.

"Parents have a right to know any and all information that pertains to their children's safety and health while at school, said Defending Education's lead investigator, Casey Ryan, in a statement. "Refusing to be honest with parents regarding their child's health is a direct violation of FERPA [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act]. Any school district in Vermont that continues to hide the preferred gender identity of students from their parents is in direct violation of federal law."

In February 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring male student-athletes who self-identify as transgender from competing on women's sports teams. If schools fail to comply, federal funding could be terminated, the order states. The Department of Justice has since threatened to sue several schools in an attempt to force them into compliance. The Vermont Agency of Education emphasized last year that its policies would not change, despite the executive order.