Seattle schools quizzing kids as young as 11 on sexual orientation, drug use — and sharing data with 3rd parties
Seattle Schools Under Fire for Undisclosed Survey on Students’ Sexual and Gender Identities
Over 20 public middle and high schools in the Seattle area are being investigated after it emerged that they asked students as young as 11 about their sexual orientation and gender identity without first informing parents. The data, which has been collected for almost a decade, is allegedly being shared with outside organizations, raising concerns about privacy and disclosure.
The “Check Yourself Survey,” required in every Seattle middle and high school, asks a variety of personal questions. Items range from “I am most likely to have a crush on…” (with answers that include “all genders” and “males and females”) to “About Me: I identify as,” offering choices such as “questioning my gender identity” and “non‑binary.” Students are also prompted to list their “top goals” for the upcoming year, with a romantic relationship listed as one of the options.
Not all students were comfortable with the questions. A twelve‑year‑old responded, “No I’m also twelve,” while another asked, “why do you want to know my sexual orientation,” and a third said, “I never want to do this again.” The survey also touches on topics like smoking, drinking, drug use, suicidal thoughts and even family conflicts such as “fighting or physically hurting others.”
Since the survey began, 67,000 students have taken it. According to a National Review investigation, the data has been shared with a range of third parties, including the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute and County authorities.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Student Privacy is now looking into the matter. Parents who were never notified about the nature of the questions or the possibility of external data sharing have petitioned for stricter controls. A group of nearly twenty parents signed a letter demanding that schools obtain written permission before administering the survey, emphasizing the need for informed consent.
Seattle mother Stephanie Hager told the National Review, “If parents want to sign their kids up for a program that releases their health information and their personally identifiable information, that is their decision, but every parent deserves to make this decision under informed written consent.” She also added, “These records are super valuable because this is very difficult information to get from students or from adolescents, kids, minors.”
King County’s Ombudsman Office released a 2024 report stating that there was no evidence of wrongful disclosure of private student information, though it noted that a single school district had released sensitive student data "several years ago."
In 2025, Seattle Public Schools used $1.5 million from a federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the survey. A SAMHSA spokesperson confirmed that the agency is investigating the issue and that the funds cannot be used for activities in violation of federal law. The county has denied responsibility for the alleged disclosure.
Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Education, along with Seattle Public Schools, have not yet responded to requests for comment.
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