Chapel Hill‑Carrboro Schools superintendent faces GOP scrutiny over Parents Bill of Rights claims

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Rodney Trice testified Tuesday before a North Carolina House oversight committee over alleged violations of the Parents Bill of Rights in his district.

During a hearing that lasted over two hours, Trice faced questions from Republican lawmakers about claims the district knowingly failed to follow rules requiring parents to be informed about decisions such as potential name and pronoun changes for students.

Lawmakers also pressed Trice on concerns about library book content in elementary schools and material on the district's website, though few specific titles were cited. Some legislators further alleged the district provided false information during a similar hearing in December.

"I'm going to tell you this Dr. Trice. Every excuse your district has offered since December, every last one of them is going to be tested today, against your own documents, and your own words. If you have a defense, you're going to make it here," said Rep. Brenden Jones, the committee chair.

Trice defended the district's policies, saying they comply with state law.

"We follow the law, the law is outlined in our guidance and before any name or pronoun change is made in our record, parents must be notified," Trice said. "That's just the base of our guidance I don't know what else to say."

Under the Parents Bill of Rights, instruction on "gender identity and sexuality" is prohibited in public school curriculum from kindergarten through fourth grade. School staff must also inform parents before a student's name or pronoun is changed.

Several Democratic lawmakers defended the district during the hearing, describing some of the questioning as politically motivated and criticizing how the law is being enforced.