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Fort Mill School District discusses preferred name, gender request form

A form allowing parents to request a certain name or gender be used for their child is raising questions among some at the Fort Mill School District.

FORT MILL, S.C. — A form allowing parents to request a certain name or gender be used for their child is raising questions among some families at the Fort Mill School District.

The form, which recently began circulating online, says, upon request, the student's preferred name and preferred gender will be used on all district documents like class rosters and report cards.

One district parent, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed frustration with those upset about the form, saying she has a child in the LGBTQ community.

“People need to mind their business and let them people live their life," the parent said. "You just have to support.”

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According to District Spokesman Joe Burke, the form was actually created in 2021 following changes to the student management system PowerSchool by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE).

He said those changes allow for a preferred name and/or gender within the PowerSchool system, and said the state recommends a form to document the requests. The district must also retain the student's legal name and legal gender from birth in PowerSchool for data collection by SCDE.

“We've seen some people claim that this is something that parents are required to fill out every year," Burke said. "That is not the case. Again, it's an independent form that a family would request.”

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He said noncompliance by the district could mean legal action, citing the Grimm V. Gloucester County School Board case where a transgender student sued for being excluded from using the restroom that matches his gender identity.

Burke said the case has two parts: One related to bathrooms and the other dealing with official school transcripts.

Under the bathroom section, he said students can choose to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity and adds that their district also offers private restrooms for any student who wishes to use them.

"Keeps our district in compliance with both federal law and our state recommendations," Burke said.

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LGBTQ advocates say the form creates a more inclusive environment.

“Having this form helps protect students by making a safe school environment where their identity, their name, their pronouns are going to be respected," Craig White, Supportive Schools Director with Campaign for Southern Equality, said. "It’s simply a way for the school to show respect for the student.”

The district said parents in need of the form can request it from their child's school.

Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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