Iowa Educators Must Get Permission From Parents To Use Students’ Nicknames

Teachers in Iowa must now receive parents’ permission to call children by their nicknames or preferred pronouns. 

Republican legislators recently passed a bill known as Senate File 496. As explained by Huffpost, the new law outlines regulations that require legal guardians to be notified when a student wants to use a separate name other than that assigned to them at birth. The rule also applies to the shortening of names. For instance, students legally named Michael but prefer to go by Mike must have this request approved by their parents. 

The law was initially introduced for parents to know when their child change their genders or choose gender-affirming names. Legislators expanded the definition, deciding to include all titles and nicknames, regardless of how the children identify. 

However, the Iowa Department of Education is still working to learn how to enforce the rule correctly. The Des Moines Register has reported that several school districts throughout the state are consulting with attorneys to determine how to move forward with the new directions. Students were sent home with name permission slips on the first day of school. 

Another troubling aspect of Senate File 496 is that any student who decides to use a nickname or gender-affirming name at any point in the school year will be reported to school administrators. That person is then required to tell the parents. This clause in the bill has drawn criticism from some who claim that it prevents young people from receiving gender affirmation without having to come out to their parents.