School District
Mum on Trans Teacher

Twenty-three children were removed from a Vacaville, Calif., elementary school music class after parents became aware that the teacher had undergone gender-reassignment surgery during the summer, which had not been disclosed by school administrators. The Foxboro Elementary School teacher, whose name has not been released, returned to school this fall as a man after teaching for years as a woman, KCRA News reported Tuesday.

Parents said they found out when their children told them. Travis Unified School District superintendent Kate Wren Gavlak said the district could not legally notify parents because that would have violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's privacy rules. Gavlak said administrators consulted with lawyers, who said they could not disclose the change.

"I understand what parents are saying, but we have a right as an employer, we have a legal obligation as an employer to protect our employees," Gavlak said in the report.

The students, from 15 families, have been moved from the music class into a physical education class. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)