A report released by the group Parents Defending Education highlights that some health centers located in Seattle Public Schools offer gender reassignment care to middle and high school students.
The regulations approved and implemented by the state Board of Education state that gender reassignment care can be offered to students at two school-based health centers.
The report justifies the move by claiming that "Seattle Public Schools is a national leader in providing rights and supports to transgender and gender-expansive students." Thus, this "aaction benefits students by elevating the visibility for the valuable rights and supports that we provide for transgender and gender-expansive students."
Two health centers located in schools
The school health centers of Nova High School and Meany Middle School are located at two Seattle Public Schools and offer "gender-affirming care" for students. They are operated and managed by the Country Doctor Community Health Centers, a non-profit organization, which according to its website:
Offers comprehensive, no-cost, trauma-informed and gender-affirming care conveniently at the school. We bill you for the services corresponding to the insurance if you have it. ... You never have to worry about co-payments or co-insurance. We also offer services and support to uninsured students and families. The center is staffed full-time by a clinic administrator, medical providers and a behavioral health specialist.
Although the center assures that it "does not provide puberty blockers" for minors, they offer other services including:
Referrals to specialists for younger patients as needed ... Gender-affirming medications (estrogens, androgen blockers, testosterone, etc.) and injection techniques, and referrals for gender-affirming surgeries.
Schools should not provide the student's gender to their parents
Seattle Public Schools considers itself "gender inclusive." The report states that "staff should not disclose a student's transgender or gender X status to others unless they are legally required to do so or the student has authorized the disclosure," including to the student's parents.
In addition, the district is considered "a leader in the implementation of gender-neutral restrooms with multiple stalls for student use, which are often equipped with sinks for student use that often provide a less intimidating and more welcoming restroom environment for all students, including those who are transgender and gender-expansive."
No. 3211 Gender Inclusive Schools Seattle Public Schools WA by Verónica Silveri on Scribd
