Education

Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Barring Schools From Having To Notify Parents Of Pronoun Changes

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Frances Floresca Contributor
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The California governor signed a bill Monday prohibiting schools from being required to notify parents if their child decides to have their pronouns or gender identity changed without the child’s consent.

With Gov. Gavin Newsom signing Assembly Bill 1955 The SAFETY Act, school districts, charter schools, county offices of education and state special schools will no longer require educators and staff to notify parents if their child has changed their gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation, according to the bill. (RELATED: California Dems Are Working To Keep Parents In The Dark On Students Gender Transitions)

“An employee or a contractor of a school district, county office of education, charter school. or state special school for the blind or the deaf shall not be required to disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identify, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent unless otherwise required by state or federal law,” the new law’s text reads in part.

The introduction and passage of the bill follows the implementation of parental notification policies by several school districts across the state, as reported by KCRA 3. Several of these policies have reportedly been challenged at court. Multiple rulings have favored parental notification, according to the Sacramento Bee.

“Politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California,” Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward, the law’s author, said in a statement shared by NBC Los Angeles. “While some school districts have adopted policies to forcibly out students, the SAFETY Act ensures that discussions about gender identity remain a private matter within the family.”

Parental rights advocates expressed their concerns, including Chino Valley Unified School District Board President Sonja Shaw who testified against the law back in June.

“In Chino, we won’t allow a school to lie to any parent. AB 1955 makes lying legal and a requirement in school. Let me remind you, when you guys say these are your children, they are not your children, they are ours,” Shaw said.