36 | Transgender Students and Challenges to School Support Plans

What does the Constitution say about how schools should navigate situations where a student and their parents disagree about the student’s gender identity? How can schools promote the interests of LGBTQ students while also respecting parental rights? This is a tricky subject, and it often puts schools in a sticky situation. Which is why we’re doing this podcast, right? To help educators un-stick themselves as much as possible. Today's case illustrates a constantly changing and hotly debated legal landscape: the balance of parental rights, the rights and interests of LGBTQ students, and the authority of schools to promote what they may think is "in the best interests of the student." Trying to balance these complex issues often puts schools between a rock and a hard place. Today, we’re diving into Littlejohn v. School Board of Leon County, a case involving a parental challenge to a support plan that the school created for their transgender child. We also discuss an update to a lawsuit challenging Iowa's recent curricular gag order. --- Need some education law content for your courses or professional development? We have a Teaching Guide! You can check it out at our website, ⁠ChalkandGavel.com⁠. We'd also greatly appreciate it if you would consider supporting Chalk and Gavel by becoming a subscriber on Patreon. Your support will help us continue to deliver the education law content you want to hear! ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/chalkandgavel⁠ --- Keywords: LGBTQ Students' Rights, Parental Rights, Transgender Students, Support Plans, Fourteenth Amendment, Substantive Due Process, Qualified Immunity, Curriculum, First Amendment