‘There’s been fear’: Tracking new challenges for transgender students in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) has said that the rollout of one state law has been so chaotic that they’ve had to start officially tracking complaints.

“I learned about this going into effect when the principal called me and asked if it was OK to use my child’s requested name. They did not ask about pronouns. I did also receive a letter in the mail letting me know that my child requested to be called by a different name. They have been using their chosen name at school for the past 2 years and the teachers never had any issues and most were always respectful and also tried to use they/them when they could remember.”

East Tennessee parent submission

The new school year had barely started when parents began receiving unexpected notices, like notice that one East Tennessee parent wrote about.

It’s a shift that school districts are have had to face less than one month into the 2024-2025 school year.

“There’s been fear as they learned about the law,” TEP executive director Chris Sanders said. “They are thinking about how and when they come out even to supportive teachers, and that’s really sad because at school it ought to be a place where you can be yourself.”

The new Tennessee law mandates that teachers must inform parents if a student wishes to be identified by a gender other than the one assigned at birth.

“We began to get reports early that different school districts were doing some very different things,” Sanders told News 2. “Some school districts are telling students about the law, which is what we recommend, others are not saying a thing.”

In response to varying district practices, TEP has launched an online form to gather real-life experiences and impacts.

“We’ve zeroed in really on the counselor-student relationship because students generally perceive there should be a relationship of confidentiality,” Sanders said. “What they may not know, though, is when they disclose this, they could be outing themselves to their parents before they’re ready.”

While opponents see the law as a requirement to out students who may not feel comfortable telling their parents they are trans, supporters of the law have said that parents have a right to know what their children are doing at school.

“Do we allow their injuries? Do we allow their grades? Do we allow their bad behavior [to be kept secret]? What information do we hide from our parents right now in our school system?” Hamilton County Republican Greg Martin said in a debate on the bill. “I assume the answer is not much, if any, that we would keep from parents.”

TEP hopes to track concerns from across the state. Their goal is to understand the law’s impact and improve future legislative processes.

“We’re tracking it in hopes that when future laws are proposed, we can avoid some of this chaotic implementation,” Sanders explained. “If we’re able to show that the implementation of this law is causing a great deal of chaos and harm, it may be that we can get it appealed or amended down the road, and we think we owe it to the students to try that.”

The TEP would like to hear from those throughout the state, no matter the school district. They are also interested in whether or not the school district is disseminating information to parents, students or teachers.

The organization added that no personal information would be shared, and submissions can remain anonymous. You can provide your feedback at this link.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.