A California beach town has recently fought back against a California bill that would prevent public schools from disclosing gender or sexual-related behavior to the parents. Following the passage of the controversial bill, Huntington Beach fought back against the state, voting to become a “Parents’ Right to Know City,” seeking to keep parents informed about their children.
California’s Assembly Bill 1955 has sparked outrage among conservatives as it prohibits public schools from informing parents of their child’s “sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.” However, the ordinance passed by Huntington Beach would allow the city attorney to challenge the constitutionality of AB 1955 and sue the state.
The Liberty Justice Center, the legal group challenging the constitutionality of the bill, recently released a public statement applauding the counter ordinance passed by Huntington Beach. Senior Counsel Emily Rae stated, “The Liberty Justice Center is supporting parental rights in California by challenging AB 1955 and defending school districts from Chino Valley to Rocklin Unified. We are encouraged by the leadership of Huntington Beach City Council in enacting an ordinance that declares Huntington Beach a ‘Parents’ Right to Know City.”
“Parents are the legal guardians of their minor children and have the right to know what their children are doing at school. The vast majority of California voters across the political spectrum support parental rights. The Liberty Justice Center is proud to represent our clients in California for free and to support them in fighting for their individual rights and liberties as parents,” Rae continued.
According to AB 1955, “This bill would prohibit school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, and a member of the governing board or body of those educational entities, from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor 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 law.”
Liberty Justice Center Board Member Corey DeAngelis illustrated the absurd nature of the California bill that seeks to strip parents of their rights over their children. He said, “I can’t believe we’re at a point in America where authoritarians in power are fighting this hard to keep sexual secrets about children from their own parents. They are now using the heavy hand of the state to subvert local control and try to strip away the most fundamental parental rights. I’m proud of the parents in Chino Valley Unified who are fighting back for their constitutional right to direct the upbringing of their children. I’m proud to be a board member at Liberty Justice Center, fighting alongside them. We will win this war the authoritarians are waging on parents.”
The legislation claimed that LGBT individuals would have their privacy violated by disclosure requirements. “LGBTQ+ pupils have the right to express themselves freely at school without fear, punishment, or retaliation, including that teachers or administrators might ‘out’ them without their permission. Policies that require outing pupils without their consent violate pupils’ rights to privacy and self-determination,” the bill added.
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