New law affecting name and pronoun changes in school

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY)– There’s confusion and concern among some parents and students of New Hanover County Schools following a new state law.  

The General Assembly passed the Parents Bill of Rights over the summer.  

One portion of the law requires schools to notify parents if their child wants to use a different name or pronoun.  

The parents must approve the change by filling out a form and returning it to the school.  

Otherwise, teachers must refer to students by their government name and pronoun. 

New Hanover County School Board Member Josie Barnhart says the law ties their hands. 

“The Parents Bill of Rights requires notification of name changes. As a district, we have to figure out a procedure that is going to make sure we are compliant with the law and provide that notification,” said Barnhart. 

The district is working on a consistent protocol for this matter moving forward.   

But in the meantime, Barnhart says they will be abiding by the law.