Marysville school board opts to not move forward with controversial parental consent club policy

Marysville school board opts to not move forward with parental consent policy

The Marysville School District board of directors have decided to not move forward with a proposed policy that would require parental consent for students to join clubs and other extracurricular programs following pushback from students and community members.

MARYSVILLE, Wash. - The Marysville School District board of directors have decided to not move forward with a proposed policy that would require parental consent for students to join clubs and other extracurricular programs following pushback from students and community members.

The district said it proposed the policy to add transparency and increase parental involvement, however, detractors say it targeted LGBTQ+ youth, potentially forcing them to out themselves to parents should they continue club membership.

The two policies in question are 2150, co-curricular programs and 2153, non-curriculum-related student groups. On the agenda, minor changes in language appeared as edits in red writing, but new for each include requirements that parents must consent prior to their kids joining clubs.

Since the parental consent proposal was announced in mid-May, scores of students, district staff members, LGBTQ community members and allies rallied outside district schools, carrying signs, waving flags, while rejecting the board’s proposal.

During a June 6 meeting, board members announced that they would not be going through with the policy proposal.