Mercer Island School District instructs WA students to change name, gender without parental consent

( Post Millennial )

The Mercer Island School District, located in one of Washington state's wealthiest Seattle-area suburbs, has begun circulating official forms that allow students to request changes to their name and gender without parental consent, according to documents obtained exclusively by The Post Millennial.

The controversy comes amid broader debates over parental rights in Washington.

The name/gender form instructs students to provide their legal name as it appears in the student information system, then list a "preferred first name." It includes checkboxes for changing gender, providing options such as male, female, and blank/nonbinary. 

Most notably, the form explicitly allows the student to sign without parental approval. A fine print at the bottom of the parent/guardian signature line states: "Note: Per Washington State law, if a student requests change(s) listed on this form, the parent/guardian signature is not required." 

This applies to all schools located in the MISD, including elementary schools. This aligns with guidance from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), which prioritizes student privacy regarding gender identity and preferred names in daily school interactions. District policy documents state that schools "may change a student's official gender designation upon parent or student request" pursuant to OSPI rules.

A concerned parent with a student in the school district told The Post Millennial: "On the first day of 5th grade, my son was asked to declare his pronouns in front of the class at the teacher's request. This slippery slope of woke indoctrination has led us to where we now sit. Public schools are now actively facilitating and encouraging children to change their identities and sexual orientation without knowledge or permission from parents."

"This is child abuse and an affront to children, parents, and families," the parent continued. "It needs to stop immediately."

In March 2026, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled 6-3 to reinstate a federal district court injunction barring a California policy that banned schools from alerting parents about a student's gender identity change unless the student consented.