California sues school district over policy requiring parents be notified of gender identity changes
ANAHEIM, Calif − California’s attorney general is suing a Southern California school district with over 26,000 students for their new policy that requires schools to alert parents if their children change their gender identity or pronouns.
The lawsuit, started by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alleges the Chino Valley Unified School District's “parental notification” policy is discriminatory and violates both civil rights and privacy laws, according to a press release. The lawsuit also claimed the policy puts transgender and gender-nonconforming students in "danger of imminent, irreparable harm" by risking they'll be outed in their household before they're ready.
“They are in real fear that the district’s policy will force them to make a choice: either ‘walk back’ their constitutionally and statutorily protected rights to gender identity and gender expression, or face the risk of emotional, physical and psychological harm from non-affirming or unaccepting parents or guardians,” states the lawsuit, which asks the San Bernardino County Superior Court to immediately ban the practice.
Similar policies have been proposed in the state including the Murrieta Valley Unified and Orange Unified school districts, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Chino Valley Unified school board voted to approve a policy that notifies parents if a child requests to be “identified or treated” as a gender that differs from their “biological sex” or gender listed on their birth certificate. Under the policy, student requests regarding names, pronouns, bathroom and sports preferences would warrant an alert.
"Every student has the right to learn and thrive in a school environment that promotes safety, privacy, and inclusivity – regardless of their gender identity,” Bonta said in the press release. “The forced outing policy wrongfully endangers the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of non-conforming students who lack an accepting environment in the classroom and at home."
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USA TODAY has reached out to the Chino Valley Unified School District and California's Department of Justice for comment.
Chino Valley spokesperson Andi Johnston told the Associated Press transgender students are protected by the policy that requires schools to notify social services or law enforcement if the student believes they could be in danger, in which parents would not be alerted.
Disputes over LGBTQ policies within the state's education system go beyond the notifications debacle.
Last week more than 100 demonstrators marched from Los Angeles City Hall to the L.A. Unified School District headquarters to protest against LGBTQ+ inclusive textbooks. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to fine the Temecula Valley Unified School District for rejecting an elementary school's social studies curriculum that included books referencing politician and gay rights advocate Harvey Milk.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California sues schools over parent notification policy concerning gender
