SoCal School District Sues Governor Newsom Over New Law Ban

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – On July 16, the Chino Valley Unified School District sued Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom after he signed a new law that would prevent schools from notifying parents of a change to their child’s gender identification.

The law bans school staff from disclosing a child’s gender identity to any other person, including the child’s parents, without the child’s permission. Under the law, the state Department of Education must develop resources for the families of LGBTQ+ students in grades 7 through 12. The first-in-nation law was signed by Newsom on July 15 and is set to take effect in January.

Emily Rae, a lawyer who represents the district and a handful of parents, said parents have “a constitutional right” to know what is happening with their children at school. She noted that schools “do not have the right to keep secrets from parents.”

Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon responded to the lawsuit, calling it “deeply unserious,” adding that the law “preserves the child-parent relationship.” Gardon stated that parents still have “full access to their student’s educational records,” adding that children would be unable to “legally change their name or gender” without the consent of their parents.

In August 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District after its school board approved a rule that required parents to be notified if their children changed their pronouns or gender identification. Bonta argued that the rule was discriminatory against gender non-conforming students. A judge put the rule on hold while the case progressed through the court system. However, the school district made an update to the rule requiring schools to notify parents of any changes their child requests be made to their student records.

Six states, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Arkansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina, have laws requiring parents to be notified by schools if their children disclose that they are transgender or change their pronouns. Idaho and Arizona have laws requiring parents to be notified about certain information, but the laws do not specify gender identity.