Destination Education: Transgender LAUSD high school student shares her story

FOX 11's Bob DeCastro spoke with a courageous transgender student who returned to school for in-person instruction this week for the first time in the pandemic since coming out. Hear her story and learn more about the school district's policies.

LOS ANGELES - FOX 11 is taking a closer look at the issue of transgender students in schools in its spotlight series "Destination Education."

The Los Angeles Unified School District does not compile an official number of students that identify as transgender, but operates under the assumption that it would be close to national studies, which is an estimated 1% of children.

FOX 11's Bob DeCastro spoke to district officials about their policies and spoke to one transgender student who recently came out.

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Willow Peake started her sophomore year in high school this week and she's been through quite a journey. She’s been an LAUSD student since she was in kindergarten. During the pandemic, she spent her freshman year at home and that's when she came out to her parents as transgender.

This year as she returns to school full-time for in-person instruction, she now has the task of coming out to her friends. We caught up with her after she finished her first day of school.

Since 2014, the LAUSD has used the "Out Safe for Schools" Badge. The district says it has been so successful that 32 districts across the country now use it.

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