California schools would be banned from telling parents about their children’s gender transition under a bill headed to the desk of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Assembly Bill 1955 would prohibit school staffers and volunteers from informing parents about their child’s “sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression” without the student’s consent, seeking to thwart parental notification policies passed by local school boards.
Democrats that the bill, which passed on a party-line vote of 61-16, was needed to foil the “forced outing” policies adopted by at least 10 school districts, while conservatives ripped the legislation as the “parent secrecy rule.” “Parents have the right to know significant information about their child’s life, including matters related to their well-being and identity,” Republican state Assemblyman Bill Essayli said during the Friday floor debate. “This bill forces teachers to lie to parents, eroding trust and transparency within families.
” Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward, the bill’s sponsor, countered that “it’s not the job of teachers to be the gender police.” “They want to teach, and they want to be able to provide a safe and supportive environment. And when they do, students will thrive,” Mr.
Ward said. “Nothing in this bill gets involved in the parent-child relationship.” Mr.
Newsom has not said whether he will sign the bill, although he has typically supported pro-LGBTQ legislation. He sig.