North Cook News

Jim Geldermann, a Republican candidate for Illinois House District 17, is raising concerns about what he describes as the facilitation of gender transitions among elementary school students in Community Unit School District 300 (CUSD 300) without parental notification.

The claims, brought forward by a whistleblower, allege that school staff encouraged students to change their names, pronouns and gender expression without informing their families.

Geldermann said the practice is part of what he sees as a broader shift away from parental involvement in Illinois schools.

“Over the last couple of years, union leaders, school board members, and anti-family/parent advocates have stated openly that students belong to the collective and not the family,” Geldermann, the former treasurer of the Log Cabin Republicans, told North Cook News. “As witnessed by the latest legislation that Governor Pritzker signed into law, the state cares more about your child than you do. The home is a hostile environment for children and government agencies like DCFS always have someone else to blame for their fatal failures.”

According to a whistleblower who spoke with the Kane County Reporter, staff in CUSD 300 allowed three elementary students to socially transition — including name, pronoun and gender expression changes — without parental involvement.

Superintendent Dr. Martina Smith and the district’s school board have not responded to requests for comment.

Laurie Parman, a former district employee of 26 years and current candidate for House District 66, confirmed the claims and said the district has promoted a culture of secrecy. She cited a staff training session held before the COVID-19 pandemic, where teachers were allegedly told to conceal student participation in LGBTQ-related activities.

“If a parent called and asked, ‘Where was my student after school on Tuesday?’ and the student was at the LGBTQ club, you were told to say, ‘They were at the Swans Club. It’s a writing club.’ They even said, ‘Because we do writing in there.’ That was the exact wording,” Parman told the Kane County Reporter.

Parman said some staff were uncomfortable with the approach. 

“As parents, they were offended that the district was teaching staff how to lie to parents,” she said.

The controversy in CUSD 300 reflects a broader national debate over parental notification policies. In states such as California, Arizona, Colorado and Wisconsin, school districts have adopted “gender support plans” that allow students to socially transition at school without parental consent. Some of these policies have been challenged in court.

According to documents obtained by the parents’ rights group Defending Education, CUSD 300 also uses a “Student Gender Support Plan” that allows students to choose whether or not their gender identity information is shared with parents. The plan requires staff to use preferred names and pronouns and to provide access to bathrooms and activities aligned with the student’s gender identity. The policy is based on a national model created by the organization Gender Spectrum.

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison said the practice is not limited to CUSD 300.

“Multiple districts, including Chicago Public Schools and suburban systems, have quietly adopted ‘gender support plans’ that explicitly state parents may not be informed if a student socially transitions at school,” Morrison told South Cook News. “This is not isolated, it’s part of a larger ideological agenda.”

Some proposals have sought to expand gender-affirming access without parental involvement. In 2024, state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D–Downers Grove) introduced legislation that would have redefined child abuse in Illinois to include denying a child access to “gender-affirming services.” The bill also would have allowed minors to consent to such services without parental involvement and protected health care providers from liability. The measure did not pass.

Critics, including Awake Illinois founder Shannon Adcock, said the proposal could have led to parents losing custody for refusing gender-related treatments for their children.

Geldermann is running again in 2026 after losing to incumbent state Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D–Glenview) in the 2024 general election. Gong-Gershowitz received 68.7% of the vote to Geldermann’s 31.3%.

Gong-Gershowitz has been a supporter of LGBTQ rights and gender identity inclusion. In 2024, she posted on Facebook in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance.

“Today we remember the members of the transgender community lost to anti-trans bigotry and violence. We must honor their memory by fighting for a more inclusive future for all,” she wrote.

House District 17 includes all or parts of Evanston, Glenview, Golf, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Skokie and Wilmette.