NC Lawmaker Proposes Regulating Teachers' Attire After Wake County Hires Transgender Music Teacher

North Carolina Republican state Rep. Erin Paré suggested that the state consider legislation to require "gender-appropriate" professional attire for public school employees after constituents raised concerns about the hiring of a transgender music teacher in a Wake County elementary school.

Paré, writing on her campaign Facebook page, said she had heard from residents about "the hiring of a transgender biological male, who dresses as a woman, music teacher, in one of our local elementary schools." She said she notified Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) leaders and added, "I don't care how adults choose to live outside of the professional work day. But I will ALWAYS protect our children." Paré did not identify the teacher or the school.

Proposal And Rationale

Paré suggested that lawmakers might introduce a bill to require "gender-appropriate professional attire for public school employees," arguing that dress-and-appearance rules could prevent young children from being exposed to "more complex and mature gender-identity questions and concepts at too young of an age." She also used the episode to promote school-choice options for parents who object to staffing decisions.

"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 wrote.

District Policy And Legal Protections

WCPSS already maintains a dress-and-appearance policy that requires employees to "dress in a manner and have an appearance that is appropriate and professional in light of the environment in which they work." The policy delegates interpretation to supervisors and school-level administrators.

The district also prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. Wake County officials told WRAL that dress codes cannot be enforced in a way that discriminates against a protected class, which includes gender identity. The Facebook post by Paré was later removed.

Reaction

Paré’s suggestion drew swift criticism from Democratic lawmakers. "We should judge educators by their professionalism, qualifications, and how they treat students — not by their gender identity or how they express themselves," Democratic state Rep. Julia Greenfield told WRAL.

The story was first reported by Advocate and covered locally by WRAL. The episode highlights ongoing debates over how schools balance employee rights, nondiscrimination protections, and parental concerns about age-appropriate instruction and school environment.