New Brunswick parents fear bullying at school due to gender identity policy changes – New Brunswick

Some families of students returning to school in New Brunswick are concerned about bullying due to the province’s changes to gender identity policy in schools.

Policy 713 states that students under 16 who question their gender identity must obtain parental consent before teachers can use their preferred first names or pronouns.

Shawn and Amanda Rouse, parents of a transgender teenager from Quispamsis, New Brunswick, say their child has faced an increase in bullying since last spring, when the government first announced changes to the policy.

Amanda Rouse says her 14-year-old son was called an insult and told to k**l himself.

She says the bullying is a heavy burden for her child to bear and expects it to continue as schools reopen after the summer holidays.

New Brunswick Education Minister Bill Hogan upheld core elements of the policy despite a report saying it violates children’s Charter rights.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 5, 2023.