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State Rep. Erin Paré is proposing legislation to regulate what transgender school employees wear in school after she says the Wake County school system hired a transgender music teacher.
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In posts Monday on Facebook and X, Paré said she had received emails and phone calls about “the hiring of a transgender biological male, who dresses as a woman music teacher, in one of our local elementary schools.” Paré, a Wake County Republican, said she had contacted the Wake school system to raise concerns about the teacher’s attire on campus.
“May be time to introduce a bill requiring gender-appropriate professional attire for public school employees, as WCPSS does not have a policy addressing this issue — as far as I can tell,” Paré said in her Facebook post. “It is important that WCPSS policies regarding employee dress and appearance should protect children from being exposed to more complex and mature gender-identity questions and concepts at too young of an age.
“WCPSS can treat employees with dignity and respect, and at the same ensure young children aren’t exposed to age inappropriate concepts.”
Paré has not publicly identified the school that she says hired the trans teacher.
The Wake County school system responded with a statement Tuesday to The News & Observer.
“Under Board Policy 1710, the district prohibits unlawful discrimination while taking into account all requirements in state and federal law,” Wake’s statement said.
The Asheville-based Campaign for Southern Equality denounced Paré’s proposal.
“Transgender people live in every community and work in every field, including education,” Adam Polaski, communications and political director at the Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a statement Tuesday. “All of us want to feel respected and safe at work, able to do our jobs with confidence and dignity.
“Proposals targeting transgender people for discrimination and harassment at work are cruel and likely unlawful — given the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling protecting LGBTQ people from employment discrimination. Bullying transgender teachers does nothing to address the real challenges that North Carolinians are facing, and it’s unfortunate that politicians are focused on dividing us instead.”
The ACLU of North Carolina said Tuesday that lawmakers should focus on fully funding public schools instead of attacking people who pose no threat.
“What you wear each day, whether on the weekend or at work, is an expression of who you are,” Liz Barber, director of policy and advocacy of the ACLU of North Carolina, said in a statement Tuesday. “The idea that the government should have any role in policing what kind of clothes people wear is not only outrageous but also unconstitutional.
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“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex stereotyping, which includes enforcing stereotypes about how employees should look or act based on sex, as affirmed by the United States Supreme Court in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins.”
Paré’s comments come at a time when the Trump administration has been launching a campaign to roll back protections for transgender people, including signing an executive order declaring that the U.S. government only recognizes two sexes, male and female.
But Rep. Julia Greenfield, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, said in a Monday Facebook post that she was disappointed in Paré’s comments. Greenfield said her Republican colleague is sending “a subtle but unmistakable implication that a transgender teacher is somehow a danger to children simply because they are transgender.”
“There is no evidence presented of misconduct, inappropriate behavior, or failure to do the job,” Greenfield said. “The concern appears to be based solely on this person’s identity and appearance. Public officials should be careful not to fuel fear or suspicion about an individual without facts to support it.”
Greenfield said teachers should be judged by how they treat their students and not by their gender identity or how they express themselves.
“When elected officials imply that someone’s identity alone makes them a concern for children, we aren’t protecting kids — we’re teaching them to fear people who are different,” Greenfield said. “If our priority is truly protecting children, let’s protect them from bullying, discrimination and misinformation while ensuring every classroom is led by caring, qualified educators.”
Paré called the Wake case an example of why school choice is needed for parents.
“I don’t care how adults choose to live outside of the professional work day,” Paré wrote on Facebook. “But I will ALWAYS protect our children.”
This isn’t the first time that Paré, a parent of Wake County students, has weighed in on school issues.
In 2022, Paré publicly questioned a Wake County preschool teacher’s use of LGBTQ themed flash cards in her classroom. The teacher resigned amid the social media flurry about the incident.
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This story was originally published July 28, 2026 at 4:51 PM.