A school health teacher was suspended with pay and a second day of presentations by a staff member from the Pride Center of the Capital Region was canceled after parents of seventh-grade students raised concerns over a handout about transgender topics.

“The parents have concerns, and they are mine as well,” Superintendent Vince Canini said Tuesday.

The school district is investigating whether the teacher reviewed a handout the presenter used with the seventh and 10th grade health classes, he said.

“We have never had this issue before. We may have to make some policy changes because of it,” he said.

Martha Harvey, president and CEO of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, said she doesn’t know of any previous time schools or parents have objected to the presentation in the 12 years it has been used in schools.

“Transgender kids are coming out younger and younger. Middle school is not too early to start,” said Harvey, who noted that her group was invited to present at Cambridge. “If you love your kids, you want them to have the most information possible. If a parent has a problem with this presentation, that’s the parent’s problem.

“This program saves lives,” she added.

Canini said the school principal, Caroline Goss, was aware of the presentation, but had not seen the handout or the specifics of the presentation in advance. Read more via Post Star