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)