California Atty. General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Chino on Monday

school district,

end a policy that requires parents to be notified if their children change their gender identity, as this is discriminatory and violates civil rights and privacy laws.

The “parental notice” policy, proposed by a handful of conservatively-oriented California districts, puts transgender and gender-nonconforming students in “danger of imminent, irreparable harm” by potentially forcibly “letting them out” at home before they go to school. go home. ready, according to the lawsuit.

“They are genuinely afraid that the district policy will force them to make a choice: either their constitutionally and legally protected rights to gender identity and gender expression will ‘rewind’, or risk emotional, physical and psychological harm from non-affirmation or non-acceptance. of parents or guardians,” the lawsuit said, asking the San Bernardino County Superior Court to immediately ban the practice.

The state’s lawsuit against Chino Valley Unified escalates culture through debates playing out on school boards in deep blue California, and puts districts that have proposed similar policies, including Murrieta Valley Unified and Orange Unified, on edge.

“Our message to Chino Valley Unified and all California school districts is loud and clear: We will never stop fighting for the civil rights of LGBTQ+ students,” said Bonta.

,

said one Democrat in a statement.

The policy illegally discriminates against students based on gender and violates California law

C

The Constitution’s promise of equal rights and right to privacy, the lawsuit said.

Last month, the board of the Chino Valley Unified School, which represents more than 26,000 students, voted to approve a policy that warns parents if a child asks to be “identified or treated” as a gender other than the “biological sex”. or the gender listed on the list. their birth certificate. The policy includes requests from students regarding names, pronouns, and toilet and sports preferences.

Monday’s lawsuit comes amid raucous school board meetings over the policy and other political sticking points, such as critical race theory. and LGBTQ including textbooks. Last week, more than 100 protesters opposed to LGBTQ education marched from City Hall to Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters.

Proponents of the notice policy have echoed national Republican criticism of decisions related to transgender youth and expressed frustrations over the government’s perceived overreach and lack of “parental rights” fueled by COVID-19 classroom closures and vaccination requirements .

Also on Monday, parent groups backed by Republican state legislators promoted a ballot initiative proposed for 2024 that would ask voters if they support a statewide policy to notify parents “when a child requests the school treat them as transgender .” Other proposed initiatives, which have not yet received support to be eligible for the vote,

inclusive include

a measure on gender and sports in schools and medical care for transgender young people.

Sonja Shaw, chair of the Conservative Chino Valley Unified School Board, has been an outspoken supporter of the policy, accusing Bonta, along with fellow Democrats Gov. Gavin Newsom and Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond, on “forcing perversion” on children in schools because of LGBTQ inclusive policies.

“We declare in the almighty name of Jesus that these evil, programmed politicians shall be exposed and removed,”

Sharpshaw

said at a parenting rights rally held outside the U.S. Capitol in Sacramento last week, with hundreds in attendance. “It’s only a matter of time before we take your place.”

Critics of the gender disclosure policy, including gay rights groups and leading California Democrats, say it amounts to a dangerous Republican political coup that harms transgender and gender nonconforming youth. Republicans, who have no power in Democratic-controlled legislatures and top offices, have turned their attention to school boards across the state to influence policy.

Newsom has also weighed in on the issue, battling a Temecula school board that wanted to reject class materials over their mention of slain San Francisco gay rights leader and politician Harvey Milk. The Board was the last to take up the gender reporting policy.

With Newsom’s support, legislation is expected to be unveiled soon in direct response to expanding gender disclosure policies, with the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus calls for more guarantees for students.

More than 49,000 California youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identify as transgender, 1.9% of the total age group, according to a report released last year by the Williams Institute.

N

k at the UCLA School of Law. Nationally, 300,100 young people were identified as transgender, 1.43% of the total age group.

Bonta’s office pointed to a disproportionately high rate of harassment, suicide, and runaways among transgender youth.