The state of California is taking action in an attempt to stop a controversial Chino Valley Unified School District policy involving transgender students from being enacted.
Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced that the state Department of Justice is suing the CVUSD board over its requirement that parents be notified if their child asks to use a name or pronoun other than that listed on their birth certificate or school records, something described as a “forced outing policy.”
“The policy also requires notification if a student requests to use facilities or participates in programs that don’t align with their sex on official records,” Bonta’s office said in a press release.
The policy was approved last month with a 4-1 vote, despite a decidedly mixed response from those in attendance at the meeting.
School boards nationwide have been urged by conservative parents and groups to enact such policies, though their efforts haven’t always been successful at higher levels.
For instance, Assembly Bill 1314, which has yet to be passed in the California State Assembly, would require parental notification if a student uses a gender other than that listed in school records or birth certificate. The CVUSD board passed a resolution supporting the bill, which was also approved in a 4-1 vote.
Bonta said such a requirement “wrongfully endangers the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of non-conforming students who lack an accepting environment in the classroom and at home,” an argument echoed by many opponents of such bills.
“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 a statement. “We’re in court challenging Chino Valley Unified’s forced outing policy for wrongfully and unconstitutionally discriminating against and violating the privacy rights of LGBTQ+ students.”
Supporters of such policies, including CVUSD Board President Sonja Shaw, said last month they are intended to support “parental rights.”
“We’re going to safeguard parental rights,” Shaw said. “That is a constitutional right and we’re going to make sure that our parents at Chino Valley know they’re sending their kids here to be taught, not to be anything else.”