Paré seeks dress code law for transgender Wake County teachers
Paré said she will seek a state dress-code law for transgender teachers after a Wake elementary hire, raising questions about existing rules and court fights.
Rep. Erin Paré said she will introduce legislation to restrict attire for transgender teachers after a Wake County elementary school hired a transgender music teacher. The Wake County Republican said she wants a state law requiring sex-based professional attire for public-school employees, even as federal court decisions have protected employees from discrimination based on gender identity.
Wake County already has written dress rules in place for students, and the district publishes a dress-code page saying students are expected to follow standards of dress and appearance. That page says the rules are meant to support health and safety and mirror workplace expectations. The Wake County Public School System also maintains a 2024-25 Employee Handbook through its human resources department in Cary, showing that staff already operate under districtwide written policies even before any new state mandate.
Paré’s proposal comes out of a school culture fight that has been building in North Carolina for years. In May 2022, the state Senate Health Care Committee advanced House Bill 755, which the ACLU of North Carolina described as targeting teachers and LGBTQ students. That same month, LGBTQ-themed flashcards at Ballentine Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina triggered backlash and led to a special-needs preschool teacher’s resignation. House Speaker Tim Moore said a constituent emailed Paré about the flashcards, and the Wake County Public School System responded after questions were raised about the materials.
The fight did not end there. In an August 24, 2023 overview, the ACLU of North Carolina said the state’s LGBTQ-rights environment remained under pressure, and in 2025 the group said HB 805, the Anti-Trans/School Censorship Bill, was overridden into law on July 29. Paré’s latest proposal would add another layer of risk for Wake County schools, forcing principals and human resources staff to police employee appearance more closely while also exposing districts to court challenges that could bring taxpayer-funded legal costs.
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