The Chino Valley Unified School District in Southern California has filed a lawsuit against Governor Gavin Newsom over a newly enacted law that bans school districts from requiring parental notification if a student changes their gender identity. This move intensifies the ongoing battle over parental rights and student privacy in the state's education system.
The Chino Valley Unified School District, along with several parents, argues that the new law violates constitutional rights by keeping parents in the dark about significant aspects of their children's lives. "School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school," said Emily Rae, a lawyer representing the district, in a statement.
Governor Newsom's office, however, defends the law as a necessary measure to protect student privacy and ensure their safety. Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, called the lawsuit "deeply unserious" and stated that the law "preserves the child-parent relationship." Gardon emphasized that under California law, minors cannot legally change their name or gender without parental consent, and parents continue to have access to their student's educational records as per federal law.
The controversy began when the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta, sued the Chino Valley Unified School District over a policy that required school staff to notify parents if their children changed their gender identification or pronouns. Bonta argued that the policy discriminated against gender non-conforming students. A judge halted the policy pending further legal proceedings, prompting the district to revise its rule to broadly require parental notification for any changes to student records.
Governor Newsom signed the new law, AB 1955, on Monday. This law prohibits school districts from requiring staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation without the student's consent, with certain exceptions. It also mandates that the state Department of Education develop resources for families of LGBTQ+ students from seventh grade through high school. The law is set to take effect in January.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have lauded the new law. Tony Hoang, executive director of Equality California, described the legislation as "critical" for protecting LGBTQ+ youth against forced outing policies. He noted that the law provides necessary resources for parents and families to support LGBTQ+ students and safeguards against retaliation towards teachers and school staff who create a supportive environment.
On the other side, conservative groups, including the California Family Council, have condemned the law, arguing that it undermines parental rights and places children at risk. Jonathan Keller, the council's president, stated, "Moms and dads have both a constitutional and divine mandate to guide and protect their kids, and AB 1955 egregiously violates this sacred trust."
The debate has even attracted the attention of high-profile figures like Elon Musk, who announced plans to move the headquarters of SpaceX and the social media platform X from California to Texas, citing the new law as a contributing factor. "This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas," Musk wrote on X.
The law follows a series of local policies in California school districts that mandated parental notification for gender identity changes, sparking significant backlash from Democratic state officials who argue that students have a right to privacy. Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, stated that the new law will "keep children safe while protecting the critical role of parents." He added that it prevents inappropriate political and school staff intervention in family matters and ensures that families can have deeply personal conversations on their own terms.
Nationwide, the debate over parental notification policies continues. At least six states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, require schools to notify parents if minors disclose that they are transgender or request to be referred to with a different pronoun. Other states, like Arizona and Idaho, have laws that require schools to provide certain information to parents, although they do not specifically address gender expression or sexual orientation.
The legal battle in California is likely to set a precedent for how states balance parental rights and student privacy. As the lawsuit progresses, it will undoubtedly shape the future of gender-identity policies in schools across the country.
