COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Columbus City Schools students with preferred names in the district system had their names reverted back to what is on their birth certificate. This mainly affected transgender and nonbinary students, and they were not notified that this was happening. Students and te achers were caught off guard on March 19 when attendance was called and they realized preferred names were changed in the district’s system, called Infinite Campus. ‘This should be a welcoming state:’ DeWine denies claim of ‘anti-LGBTQ+ climate’ in Ohio “He found out about the rescinded name change policy at school," one parent with a transgender son said. "His fourth-period teacher advised him to go to the office because his preferred name was not listed in Infinite Campus. My son started to go to the office and in a panic ran to the bathroom to call me at work.” “To have that happen on such a grand scale and to not even see it coming, I don't think that there are any words to describe the feelings that folks had when that happened,” said Izetta Thomas, the lead organizer with the Columbus Education Justice Coalition. Thomas said she has been talking to parents and students since the day of the change. “Those names that were in the system were actually there with parent consent and permission, because there was a form that parents had to fill out for that change to even be in the system at all,” Thomas said. The parent said the past few weeks since the name changes have been long and difficult for their son and their family. 60-ton crane stolen from south Columbus construction site “My son has not physically been back to school since March 19," the parent said. "For his safety, we unenrolled from his previous school. Now, his educational opportunities have been taken from him." Columbus Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman sent out a letter to students, parents and staff on Friday acknowledging that no warning was given. In the letter, Chapman said in part, “We did not provide prior notice this was occurring, nor did we ensure support was in place to prioritize the emotional well-being of everyone impacted.” Chapman also apologized for how the district handled this situation. The letter cited recent Ohio laws like the bathroom bill and the Parents’ Bill of Rights as reason why the names were changed, but Thomas said that none of these laws require school districts to revert trans students’ names. Ohio ‘Given Name Act’ proposes strict rules for names, pronouns in schools “A lot of the information that we've been getting from folks at the district is that it was anticipatory,” Thomas said. “An apology is not enough. An apology is not accountability, and that's what we're looking for, is accountability.” The parent did say Chapman called them personally to apologize, but they said she offered little in solutions. Thomas said a number of people from the Columbus Education Justice Coalition will be at the next Columbus Board of Education meeting to show their support for impacted students and families. ...read more read less