Published on September 20, 2024, 12:39 am

In a growing controversy surrounding gender identity in schools, California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a lawsuit over Assembly Bill 1955. The bill prevents schools from informing parents about a child’s wish to transition genders or alter the pronouns that are used to refer to them.

Governor Newsom consented to this bill on July 15. The law forbids educational entities such as school districts, charter schools, as well as statewide special schools from implementing any policy or rule that requires an employee to disclose any information about a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression without the student’s consent.

The party leading the battle against Governor Newsom is America First Legal (AFL). They contend that this law is an assault on parental rights and makes it mandatory for school districts to withhold notifying parents when their child begins displaying signs of gender confusion. In addition, they argue that there is no age limit for when this communication embargo applies and it bars schools from disciplining employees who initiate or facilitate social ‘transitioning’. According to AFL, such transitioning is seen by many medical professionals as a form of medical treatment that has the potential to cause substantial short-term and long-term harm.

The fundamental argument made by AFL points towards violation of the 14th Amendment. They maintain that fit parents are presumed to act in their child’s best interest and any government intrusion in their relationship just because it does not agree with parental decisions could be unconstitutional. Whether a child decides to socially ‘transition’ or disclose their sexuality should remain personal and private rather than being clouted as an educational issue or one decided by government authorities.

America First Legal has been active in challenging similar policies elsewhere in the past. It previously lodged lawsuits against Eau Claire Area School District, Wisconsin, in September of 2022 and against Mesa Public Schools in November of 2023; both for promoting “gender transitions” among students without parental notification.

This real piece of news is an important development in the ongoing discourse surrounding transgender rights and the Christian worldview, highlighting complex intersections between parental authority, children’s individual rights, personal beliefs and legislation. Stay tuned to our trusted news platform for all the latest updates on this breaking news as it continues to unfold.