Columbus City Schools reverts to birth names for transgender students
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Parents are speaking out after Columbus City Schools reverted students' names to those reflected on birth certificates, saying the move came without notice and harmed transgender and gender variant students.
Columbus City Schools spokesperson Tyler Carter said the district made the change to ensure compliance with Senate Bill 104, which took effect Feb. 25 and requires Ohio public school students to use the restroom that aligns with their assigned sex at birth. However, the bill does not require districts to use birth names in school records, and the district did not respond to NBC4's request for clarification.
Dara Adkinson, executive director of TransOhio, said there was no legal obligation for CCS to make this change. Adkinson said TransOhio has heard from a number of concerned parents and faculty after the district changed its student records overnight. They said many students were outed to their classmates without warning, including students with legal name changes and sealed court records.
How dismantling the Department of Education will affect Ohio schools
'The schools have smart boards, and there were students that were outed during attendance to their classes and their teachers, none of whom knew that they were trans,' Adkinson said.
Columbus City Schools rescinded its transgender and gender variant student policy in February, removing the district's policy protecting names and pronouns. The policy said it was required to maintain an official record of students' legal sex and name assigned at birth but would otherwise use a student's chosen name in school records and documents. See previous coverage of this decision in the video player above.
'To ensure legal compliance regarding official student records, Student Information System records had to be updated to match the information on student birth certificates or court orders,' Carter said.
When the policy was repealed, local LGBTQ+ youth support organization Kaleidoscope Youth Center thanked the district for rescinding it, saying changes would have legitimized discrimination. Now the district is no longer required to respect students' gender identity in student records, but it said during it would continue to ensure all students felt safe and included at school.
Adkinson said parents have mentioned pursuing litigation, and lawyers have reached out to TransOhio to express their concerns.
'I cannot imagine being a middle school student and being outed in such a violent manner to my classmates, taking all agency away from those kids,' Adkinson said.
Could same-sex marriage be on the ballot in Ohio?
Adkinson said parents reported having no notice of the change until it was reflected in parent and student portals. Families also shared this frustration on social media.
Carter said every parent or guardian who had requested a name or gender change for their student received a notice, and students older than 18 received notice personally. However, a parent shared a copy of the letter with NBC4, pointing out that it was postmarked March 20, at least 24 hours after the change.
Adkinson said the district does not have to stick with this decision, adding many parents have reached out to the school board asking for it to be undone. In an email to a parent shared with NBC4, board member Sarah Ingles responded to concerns indicating she and other board members had not been aware of the decision. In the email, Ingles said she asked for a full report from district administration, including possible remedies.
'You don't have to stay with a bad decision just because you made one,' Adkinson said. 'I hope that they roll it back, but I don't know that there's any way they can truly make it up to those students.'
Adkinson said there are ways to help, like teachers calling attendance by last name alone or families contacting the district. However, they encouraged people not to bring it up around students who were affected by the decision, saying they may not want to discuss it.
'In this moment in time, just because a lot of discrimination is being championed, doesn't mean that our institutions need to rush to discriminate in new and creative ways that are presently still illegal,' Adkinson said.
Carter said the district will continue to work with students and families to provide support. Parents said they have been able to call the school to update students' information but only as a 'nickname.'
The next regular Board of Education meeting will take place April 1 at 6 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Abstinence, patriotism and monogamy all required curriculum under new Ohio bill
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers proposed a bill that would require public schools to teach character education, including abstinence, patriotism and respect for religious faith. House Bill 269 would require public schools to teach grades 7-12 about a success sequence for a good life, including 15 distinct morals like punctuality and respect for authority. Under the bill, dubbed the THRIVE Act, districts could also invite religious and political groups to provide after-school instruction about morality. State, federal cannabis changes threaten Ohio festival's future 'The model curriculum shall consist of the value of finishing high school, working full-time, getting married before having children and instruction in the following character traits and fundamental values deeply rooted in the history and tradition of the United States,' the bill reads. The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta) and Jonathan Newman (R-Troy). Ritter said the idea came after speaking with employers and colleges about a lack of soft skills in applicants, like interpersonal skills or emotional intelligence. 'When you talk about 'soft skills,' you are really talking about virtue,' Ritter said. 'Representative Newman and I thought it was important to bring attention to these long-time American values by reintroducing them to our schools in an intentional way.' The bill lists these 15 virtues as required education: Trustworthiness, including honesty, reliability, punctuality and loyalty Responsibility, including hard work, accountability, diligence, good judgment, perseverance and self-control Care for family, including parents, siblings, and future spouses and children Kindness and generosity toward others Respect and care for human life Respect for parental authority Respect for parents' obligations to children Respect for the property of other people Respect for legitimate authority and law Respect for patriotism, service to the community and concern for the common good Respect for religious faith, morality, wisdom and knowledge Respect for lifelong marriage, sexual fidelity within marriage and sexual abstinence outside of marriage Gratitude Charity Courage The bill would also require districts to teach the success sequence: graduating high school, getting a job and getting married before having children. 'Of course, this isn't the only pathway to a happy life,' Ritter said via email. 'Many people raised by single parents are successful. But the data shows that following this formula is the EASIEST way to be successful.' Fire engine shortage felt nationwide, not just Columbus The same sequence was introduced as possible required curriculum in the Senate earlier this year, although it has not advanced out of committee. As part of the character education program, school districts would be allowed to invite partisan groups into district instructional buildings after school for optional instruction. With parent consent, these programs would expand on the success sequence or character education through a philosophical, historical, traditional or religious lens. Under H.B. 269, districts could deny groups if the subject matter is not relevant, but they cannot otherwise exclude groups because of their viewpoints, including religious or political groups. Newman said this would be optional at no extra cost for school districts, adding that 'reinforcement is key.' Some of the character traits are already included in Ohio's learning standards. Ohio's sexual education standards emphasize abstinence, and the state's social emotional learning standards include things like responsibility and respect. Columbus social media influencer pleads guilty to $20 million Ponzi scheme When asked how some of the skills, like abstinence or fidelity, relate to building stronger interpersonal skills, Ritter reiterated that the bill does not outline the only path to success, just a strong one. Ritter said the bill is 'pro-public-school' and 'pro-teacher' in introducing concepts and skills that allow students to prosper. The bill had its first hearing in the House Education Committee on June 3 but does not have a second hearing scheduled at the time of publication. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Some local police departments opt to charge for body camera video in light of new law
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Whitehall and Grove City police departments have opted to charge for body camera video in light of a recently implemented law, as multiple other central Ohio agencies consider doing the same. In January, Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 315 into law, which permits government agencies to charge the public and news media the 'estimated cost' of processing videos for public records requests before releasing them. This could include video from body cameras, dash cameras and surveillance footage from jails. Abstinence, patriotism and monogamy all required curriculum under new Ohio bill The statute officially took effect in April, allowing departments to charge up to $75 per hour of video, with fees capped at $750 per request. Before the law went into effect, the Ohio Revised Code allowed agencies to charge for public records, but only nominal fees associated with copying the content onto items such as paper or a flash drive, not labor costs. NBC4 reached out to central Ohio law enforcement agencies, asking if they have changed their public records request policies given the law's implementation. Whitehall has opted to charge the full amount as allowed by the law for body camera video – $75 per hour, or $1.25 per minute, with a cap of $750. The policy states that certain requests by victims or their representatives may be exempt from fees. 'Fees are necessary to cover the costs associated with reviewing, redacting, processing, storing, and distributing public record requests,' the policy states. Site of chemical leak offering compensation, set to reopen The Grove City Police Department has also chosen to charge for police video, with its policy asserting the amount charged will be based on the hourly rates of employees involved in producing the record, but costs will not exceed $75 per hour of footage or $750 overall. For records of certain 'critical incidents,' the police chief may choose to produce the video at no cost to the requester to ensure public transparency, the policy states. The chief of the Blendon Township Police Department, John Belford, said his agency has submitted a draft of a policy to its township attorney for review. Belford said he is recommending the department charge for body camera video, as the footage often requires 'extensive review and redaction.' 'The time that is spent by our administrative staff redacting and producing copies of releasable video has a substantial impact on our staff workload and time management,' he said. The Columbus Division of Police said it has not completed its policy and declined to share if the department plans to charge for video or not. The Hilliard Division of Police stated it is continuing to review the new law. The Pickerington Police Department said it had not yet changed its policy but will consider charging for body camera video under the new law during its budgeting process for 2026, which will likely begin in September. Both the Gahanna and Dublin police departments said they have not made any changes to their policies at this time. Progress made one year since SAFER program launched in Worthington The Delaware County Sheriff's Office stated it is still working on determining its policy. A spokesperson said the department is currently working on a 'significant backlog' of requests, and that it will not charge for those since they were received prior to the new law taking effect. Since the statute says law enforcement agencies may adopt a change to their policy, there is no deadline for them to make a decision, Capital University law professor Susan Gilles previously told NBC4. Multiple departments said they have become overwhelmed with video requests, specifically from people who request body camera content to post online, and that charging will help them manage their records department. DeWine previously stated the intention of the law is to help law enforcement officials cover the administrative costs associated with editing video. Police departments often have to redact the voices or faces of uncharged suspects or victims whose identities are protected under the law. Five-story apartment building nears construction in Franklinton However, the new statute has drawn criticism and concerns about police transparency. Families with loved ones who were killed by police held a news conference shortly after the bill was signed into law. Shawna Barnett, the sister of Andre Hill, who was fatally shot by a former Columbus police officer in 2020, said that the law damages public trust. Gilles also told NBC4 earlier this year that the legislation was not 'well thought through' and would make public records less accessible. DeWine said in a January news release that if the policy has 'unforeseen consequences,' he will work with the legislature to amend the language. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Missouri lawmakers gather community input on legislative session
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The Missouri legislative session is over, and lawmakers are taking the opportunity to get feedback from those they represent. Friday morning at Carthage's Steadley Library, Missouri State Senator Jill Carter and State Representative Cathy Jo Loy met with their constituency. Representative Loy says the idea was to tell the good, the bad and the ugly of work done this year in Jefferson City. Lawmakers returned to the capitol last week for a special session, addressing issues that didn't cross the finish line during the regular session. Carthage marks 25 years of volunteering with Day of Caring Carthage library kicks off summer reading challenge Vision Carthage's 'Dumpster Day' succeeds with community help Couple accused of stealing 1/4 of a million from elderly woman to face trial Brandon Weaver and Dr. Grant Williams receive Carthage alumni awards Senator Carter tells us meetings like this are important to help explain how the process works and get an idea of what still needs to be done. 'Because there's so much that goes on in the background that people have no idea, and it provides an opportunity for us to explain our positions, and to be corrected, if needed. Once I'm able to share the nuances and the realities of some of what goes on in the background, and then present why I voted the way that I did – I'm looking for feedback from my people that I'm on the right path,' said Sen. Carter. 'I'm not going to know what to do for them unless I hear from them, so it's good to have the questions that they asked, to be able to understand what their needs are, and so that was really important for me to hear today, at the end of the session. We did this at the beginning, so now at the end,' said Rep. Loy. Senator Carter says anyone with questions or comments is welcome to contact her through a text service set up specifically for that purpose. She can be reached at 417-216-6077. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
