Chicago schools training says sex 'not rooted in biology,' tells teachers to hide gender pronouns from parents

Chicago Public Schools mandated a teacher training program that declared sex a social construct and threatened punishment if faculty didn't use students' preferred pronouns, multiple teachers told Fox News Digital.

A 104-slide PowerPoint presentation echoed a number of left-leaning talking points that have surfaced in trainings across the country. Titled "Supporting Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming Students" the presentation argued that "everyone has multiple, overlapping identities" and that sex is assigned at birth.

"Gender & sex are socially constructed, meaning they've been created and enforced by the people in a society," one slide from the presentation reads. The notes claim that "the concepts of Gender and Sex are actually not rooted in biology. Instead, they are socially constructed, which means they have been created and enforced by people in a society."

Another slide touts "intersectionality" with the notes crediting Kimberle Crenshaw, who has also been dubbed one of the progenitors of critical race theory.

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The presentation appeared to come from the Office of Student Health and Wellness, which was listed on the first slide.

Part of the presentation instructed teachers not to inform parents about students' identifying as a different gender, using different pronouns, etc.

"Discussing a student’s transition with their parent or guardian without the student’s explicit consent is not permitted," reads one of the slides. 

"Disclosure of this kind can create an unsafe situation for the student. This is both a legal and safety concern, and there is no age restriction on this guidance."

The notes add that "[p]arental consent is not required for a student name, gender marker, or pronoun change."

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This issue has become more prominent as of recent. California mom Jessica Konen sent a legal complaint to her child's school district, alleging that teachers manipulated her daughter to try and switch genders, as well as hide those efforts from her parents.

In a statement to Fox News, CPS said: "The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) works to provide students with a high-quality, equitable education, in a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. To uphold these values, all CPS staff must take the Supporting Transgender, Non-binary and Gender Non-conforming Students training. This training was developed and tailored to school staff and is not shared with students."

"CPS students receive Sexual Misconduct and Title IX Student Training and some of the training covers inclusive environments. Students also receive Sexual Health Education from Pre-K through 12th grade which is meant to help them make informed and safe choices. In some grades, the curriculum includes lessons on identity development, which includes transgender identities."

An email obtained by Fox News shows a list of trainings with duration times. The "Supporting Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Non-conforming students" training was much longer than others. 

It listed a "time required" of 109 minutes compared to 28 minutes for "Back to School Health Protocols," 50 minutes for "Chronic Conditions," 63 minutes for "Protecting Chicago's Children," 26 minutes for "Illinois Department of Human Rights," 55 minutes for "Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation" and 71 minutes for "Information Security Awareness."

A teacher who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the information was presented in a pre-recorded webinar that was accessible through an internal web portal. The training was also mandatory, according to the teacher. 

A "Healthy CPS" document, which is linked to CPS' website, also lists the presentation title under mandatory trainings. That document lists the duration as 70 minutes, as opposed to the 109 minutes from the email Fox News Digital obtained. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the teacher said: "I understand that my own personal beliefs won't always align with those of a company or a school district that I work for. I also accept that my students and I will not always share the same beliefs, in this case regarding gender identity and pronoun usage. That's not the issue, though. In this situation, my school district is teaching false information about gender and sex to its employees — literally teaching them that it is all a social construct. … What type of education are we providing when we are articulating lies to our students in the name of keeping them comfortable?"

"The most unethical aspect of my career as a teacher in Chicago is looking at a parent and using a different name and gender for a student than what the student is using at school with dozens of teachers and hundreds of classmates. Some students request their alternative name to be used in their email handle, and this prevents me from including a student and a parent on the same email thread."

"The way that transgenderism and pronoun usage is celebrated within CPS (see this unlisted district video) doesn't reflect just acceptance, tolerance, and affirmation. There is a celebratory feel surrounding it that prods students towards different pronoun usage and gender identities that they know will earn them special attention and congratulatory remarks from the adults in their world."

The notes for the presentation say, "As of 2019, LGBTQ+ History is required in Pre K - 12 Social Science classes." Students are unable to opt out, according to the presentation. 

CPS told Fox News: "The Illinois School Code also requires students to take U.S. history to graduate. This course must include the study of the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State."

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On the first slide, presenters are identified with their pronouns. They included Dr. Kenneth Fox, Booker Marshall and Derrick Little — who all appear to be employees of CPS. Fox is the chief health officer who is reportedly retiring, effective in February. 

One of the slides is titled "Personal Beliefs vs. Personal Responsibility," and contains notes that are apparently intended for Dr. Fox to tell individuals they had to comply with CPS policy even if it conflicted with their beliefs.

The notes read: "Dr. Fox: It’s important to acknowledge that some individuals hold personal or religious beliefs that may be at odds with this content. Everyone is entitled to their own personal beliefs. However, at the same time, CPS holds and enforces clear, specific core values that animate the reality of our shared community." (emphasis in the presentation)

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"A point I want to underscore is that every CPS employee has a professional responsibility to ensure safe and welcoming learning environments for ALL students and colleagues, including transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students and staff. These shared values and professional responsibilities define who we are and how we work as an institution. And it’s also true that intentional violation of the Guidelines by staff can result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination. We appreciate you opening your hearts and minds to be an active and open learner of this important content."