California Senate passes ban on requiring schools to notify parents of child’s gender transition

June 21, 2024

The California Senate has approved a bill that would prohibit school districts from requiring officials to share information regarding a student’s sexual orientation or sexual identity with that student’s parents.

The Christian Post reports that California Democrats passed Assembly Bill 1955 on Monday in a 29-8 vote that fell along party lines. The measure is a response to local school districts adopting policies that require parental notification on such issues.

Parental rights and religious groups have expressed concern over the legislation which says: “[a]n 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 identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent unless otherwise required by state or federal law.”

The bill also states: “policies that forcibly ‘out’ pupils without their consent remove opportunities for LGBTQ+ young people and their families to build trust and have these conversations when they are ready.”

An advocacy group called Students First California has published a letter in opposition to the measure. In that letter, Students First California President Jonathan Zachreson wrote,

“There is a reason courts have consistently affirmed parents as having a fundamental right to direct the care and upbringing of their children. Notifying and involving parents in something as paramount as when a school takes an active role in socially transitioning a child is critical for the well-being of children and for maintaining trust between schools and parents.”

Zachreson also warned that the bill could “erode trust between schools and parents and further exacerbate enrollment issues schools are facing.”

The Christian Post reports that the bill must now return to the California State Assembly before it can be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.

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