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Parents raise concerns about North Allegheny survey questions and school-issued device security
Summary
Multiple parents told the North Allegheny School Board on Feb. 26 that a district student survey included questions about gender/pronouns they found inappropriate and that school-issued laptops can access adult websites; speakers urged review of survey vetting and device protections.
Parents told the North Allegheny School Board on Feb. 26, 2025, that a student survey included questions about gender and pronouns they found inappropriate for minors and that school-issued laptops can be used to access adult websites, several speakers said during the meeting's public-comment period.
The concerns drew four parents to the podium who said the district needs to change how it vets student questionnaires and how it secures school devices. "The question itself is preposterous," said Lisa Hatch, a North Allegheny parent, referring to a pronouns-related survey item. "I expect that question to be removed from all communication from the school district." Hatch also demonstrated what she said was her son's school-issued laptop and told the board, "There is not a workaround. We got in... Pornhub. Do you all see that?" She added, "I did," saying she had opened the sites herself to show administrators the security gap.
Her husband, Mike Hatch, said he had discussed the issue with district technology staff and quoted them as saying they lack the capacity to police every bypass. "It is an infinite whack-a-mole of trying to keep things under control when it comes to our children's technology," he told the board. He urged the district to look at resources such as Thorn.org, an organization he said works on reducing child sexual abuse material online.
Other speakers criticized the survey's age targeting and questioned the district's process for approving questionnaire items. "I'm certain it was fifth grade... I believe it was eighth and then eleventh," said Anthony Sermon, who said his daughter encountered questions she had not seen before. "It's not NA's job to teach my child about or introduce a concept to them," Sermon said. John Harrison urged the board to allow more parental review of materials and suggested broader vetting prior to distribution: "We're setting ourselves up for so much problems, so many problems, legal problems that we cannot afford to have."
Speakers also raised concerns about an announcement for an LGBTQ-related student group at North Allegheny Senior High (NASH). Lisa Hatch said an email about that club was sent from a building secretary rather than through Blackboard, the district's usual student communication system, and that timing and distribution suggested a deliberate push to publicize the club's meeting.
Board members present did not take formal action on the items during the meeting. No district official provided a substantive on-the-record response to the specific device-security demonstration during the public-comment period; Mike Hatch said he had previously discussed technology limitations with district technology staff. Several speakers said they will continue to monitor the district's handling of questionnaires and device protections.
Votes at a glance
- Approve minutes from Jan. 8 and Jan. 22, 2025 board meetings — Motion to approve minutes moved by Miss Hardy; second not specified. Vote: approved, 8 yes, 0 no, 1 absent.
- Approve consent agenda items (including retiree recognitions and listed consent items) — Mover and seconder not specified. Vote: approved, 8 yes, 0 no.
The public-comments portion where these concerns were raised was part of the meeting's nonvoting speakers segment. Speakers asked the board to change how the district vets student-facing materials and to strengthen protections on school-issued devices used by minors.
