OXFORD, Mich. – Parents in the Oxford Community Schools district contacted me with concerns about what they describe as an inappropriate survey distributed to students as young as 11 years old.
According to parents, the survey was designed to gather information about bullying in the district. One parent said the survey was administered two weeks ago and again on Monday.
The survey asked students to provide information on their ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, whether they had been bullied in the past year, and whether they had bullied someone in the past year.
Parents said that during the first round of the survey, they were given the option to opt their children out. However, they claim the gender identity and sexual orientation questions were not included in the parent preview. This time, parents allege they were not given the opportunity to opt out at all and that students were forced to take the survey.
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Oxford Community Schools has not yet responded to a request for comment.
One mother, who asked not to be identified due to fear of retaliation, told me, “I don’t think it is appropriate for adults to be asking children their sexual orientation. These children are as young as 11 years old. Their sexuality is not the concern of the school district. We are also supposed to have the right to opt out, and the kids were told they had to take it or go to the office. If I showed up to a discussion forum and asked these same questions aloud to the school board, administrators, or teachers, they would be appalled.”
The parents I talked to said this survey was about bullying and was not the controversial Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY) that I have reported on in the past.
President Donald Trump has directed public schools to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and teachings related to gender identity, threatening to withhold federal funding from schools that do not comply. Under Executive Order 14190, titled "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K–12 Schooling," the administration prohibits the promotion of "gender ideology" and critical race theory, calling them "anti-American" and "subversive." The order also mandates legal action against educators who support transgender students’ social transitions, such as using preferred names or pronouns. Schools are required to certify compliance with federal civil rights laws as interpreted by the administration, or risk losing federal funds, including Title I funding designated for low-income schools.
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