Shaler Area School District has become the target of online outrage after the district’s “Gender Support Plan” was spotlighted in a post by a right wing social media influencer.
Wednesday night, Chaya Raichik, the owner and operator of the Libs of TikTok social media accounts, posted a screenshot of a gender support plan submission form from the Shaler Area School District. Raichik claimed the plan allows students to “secretly change their gender identity at school.”
SCOOP: @ShalerArea in PA implemented a "Gender Support Plan" for students to secretly change their gender identity at school, including what pronouns they use, their bathroom and locker room preference, and how staff need to treat them. pic.twitter.com/A9t7UCenWh
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 18, 2024
According to a statement from the district, the support plan is a way for students, legal guardians and school administration to establish understanding around preferences related to gender identity, preferred names, pronouns and privacy considerations.
It also is not “secret,” since it requires a signature from a parent or guardian. It serves as a foundation for the development of a highly individualized, age-appropriate support plan which is unique to each situation.
“As a point of clarification, the district does not distribute the form to all students or families,” the statement said. “The Gender Support Plan is most commonly initiated at the request of an individual and their family.”
Carrie Butler, the district’s head of communications, said the district has received multiple inquiries and administration is responding to them “accordingly.” Due to concerns for student and resident safety, the district did not put TribLive in contact with any participating families.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, acquired almost 300,000 views and the attention of the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk. Musk commented two exclamation points to which Raichik responded “HOMESCHOOL.”
Reaction to the Libs of TikTok’s post on X appeared to mostly seize on the erroneous point that the program is kept secret from parents, with comments calling for district officials to face prison time and calling the program “evil.”
Raichik did not respond to a request for comment through the Libs of TikTok X account’s inbox.
An online petition to “stop Shaler Area from implementing (the) new gender support plan,” was anonymously created on Thursday. It purported to have more than 300 signatures by Friday afternoon.
The title of the petition is misleading. According to the district’s statement, the form and support plan are not new and were implemented “numerous years” ago.
Butler said it went into effect around 2016.
“The Shaler Area School District is steadfast in its commitment to upholding all applicable laws while fostering a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all of our student learners,” the statement said.