(The Center Square) – Curriculum dealing with gender identity and sexual orientation in the early grades and age inappropriate books in school libraries are in violation of state law, members of a panel from the House of Representatives told a North Carolina school district Thursday.
Dr. Rodney Trice, superintendent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, denied the accusations in his testimony before the Oversight Committee. He said the district is in compliance with The Parents Bill of Rights, known as Senate Bill 49 at passage in 2023.
Legislators say they found 153 copies of books on sexuality and gender identity in the school system, Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, told the superintendent.
They are “in the libraries where your kindergartners, first graders, second graders go for story time,” the legislator said.
One provision of the law requires parents to be notified before officially changing the gender identity or name of a student. Jones read an email to Trice from a school counselor written in February to an assistant principal. The counselor stated that she was unclear about the process of notifying parents.
“Dr. Trice, SB49 requires parental notification before a school may change a student’s name or pronoun,” Jones said. “This law has been in effect since 2023. Your staff is still writing in 2026 about what constitutes a valid parental consent. If they are having to figure out what to do this far down the road, undoubtedly they didn’t have any guidance.”
Trice replied that the school system developed guidance on parental consent since the law was enacted.
If a student expresses concern to school officials that notifying parents about a name or gender change causing “familial strain,” then parental notification can be waived, according to school system guidance read at Thursday’s legislative hearing. That appears to violate SB49 said Rep. Grant Campbell, R-Cabarrus.
“It sounds like a bypass using an invented term – familial strain – that is not clearly defined,” Campbell said.
Trice explained that the guidance is meant to allow a student to rescind their request for a name or gender change if they are concerned that notifying the parents will cause a family conflict.
Campbell countered that the guidance does not mention anything about a student withdrawing their request for a name or identity change.
“It’s just saying that they don’t want their parents notified,” the legislator said. “There’s nothing about the student withdrawing in this.”
He asked Trice if he would agree that materials describing sexual acts should not be in elementary school libraries.
“I’m not necessarily agreeing with that,” the superintendent said. “What I am saying is that we trust the professionalism of our school librarians who are highly trained individuals to make the appropriate choices, age appropriate choices for our children. We’ve had these books in our libraries in some cases for years. I can count on one hand the number of challenges we’ve had concerning books.”
Asked if a Playboy magazine would be allowed, Trice refused to answer. On another occasion, however, he told the panel, “I see a pride flag, I see community.”
Jones on Thursday said he has filed legislation to be known as the CHCCS Act. The main intent is to withhold a superintendent’s salary if found in violation of The Parents Bill of Rights.
The proposal allows the state auditor and Department of Public Instruction to investigate non-compliant districts; withhold central office staff salaries until compliance is reached; reclassifies what library materials are considered curriculum; and aims to eliminate third-party loopholes.
