California Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing to block a local school district’s policy of notifying parents if their children say they may be transgender.
The Chino Valley Unified School District policy, which took effect in July, compels employees to notify parents if their child asks to use a different name or pronoun or tries to use bathrooms and programs that don’t match their birth gender while at school.
School personnel must notify parents in such cases — even if they do not have the student’s permission to make the disclosure.
The AG argued that the policy violates anti-discrimination and privacy laws and threatens students’ mental well-being, according to the suit filed in San Bernardino Superior Court on Monday — three weeks after classes began in the district on Aug. 7.
The policy places transgender and non-binary students “in danger of imminent, irreparable harm from forced disclosure,” as students will be forced to choose between surrendering their constitutional rights to gender identity and expression “or risking emotional, physical harm and psychology from non-affirming or non-accepting parents or guardians,” the suit alleges.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit to block Chino Valley Unified School District’s new policy to notify parents if students are transgender.AP
Bonta also claimed the district’s Board of Education enacted the policy because of hostility toward transgender students, which was made clear at a July 20 board hearing where members claimed trans students suffered from “mental illness” or “disorders” and were a threat. to the family and the country as a whole, according to the filing.
The meeting made national headlines when California state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond was kicked out after he clashed with Chino Valley school district official Sonja Shaw.
Bonta said he brought the suit to protect students from potential trauma, bullying, harassment or potential violence.
A school district hearing made headlines last month when the state superintendent was kicked out after clashing with district President Sonja Shaw.AP
“Every student has the right to learn and thrive in a school environment that promotes safety, privacy and inclusion – regardless of their gender identity,” Bonta said in a statement Monday. “We are in court challenging Chino Valley Unified’s forced exit policy as discriminatory and wrongfully and unconstitutionally violating the privacy rights of LGBTQ+ students.”
Bonta asked a judge to issue an emergency ruling that blocked the policy and ultimately found it unconstitutional.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin filed a series of similar lawsuits against several school districts in the Garden State over policies that force school staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identity.
Earlier this month, the judge in the case issued a temporary restraining order preventing the forced disclosure policy from being implemented.
Superintendent Tony Thurmond opposed the rule but was kicked out of a public board meeting July 20.AP
Andi Johnson, spokeswoman for the Chino Valley Unified School District, had been cooperating with Bonta’s office leading up to the suit, providing the office with the requested documents.
Johnson also said that in cases where students believe they will be in danger if their parents are told they are trans, schools will wait for approval from authorities before telling them.
“I can share that the Parental Notification policy protects transgender students by requiring staff to notify CPS/law enforcement if students believe they are in danger or have been abused, harmed or neglected because their parents or guardians know their chosen gender. identity,” Johnson said.
“In these circumstances, CVUSD staff will not notify the parent or guardian, but rather, wait for the appropriate agency to complete their investigation regarding the concerns shared by the student.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
