The Liberty Justice Center, alongside the law office of Nicole C. Pearson, FACTS LAW TRUTH JUSTICE, filed an opening brief on February 19 with the California Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit against California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The lawsuit alleges that Bonta violated state law by assigning a misleading and biased title to a proposed ballot initiative, effectively sabotaging its chances of reaching voters.
In September 2023, Protect Kids California, a nonprofit organization, submitted a proposed ballot initiative aimed at prohibiting gender reassignment surgery for minors and requiring schools to notify parents if their children requested to transition at school.
Under California law, the Attorney General is required to provide a neutral title and summary for all proposed ballot initiatives. However, Bonta renamed the initiative the “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth Initiative,” a title that critics argue was deliberately misleading and politically charged.
The Liberty Justice Center and FACTS LAW TRUTH JUSTICE filed a lawsuit in February 2024 on behalf of Protect Kids California, accusing Bonta of abusing his power and violating his legal obligations. The lawsuit highlighted Bonta’s personal involvement in multiple lawsuits and amicus briefs related to parental notification policies, suggesting a conflict of interest and bias in his handling of the initiative.
A lower court dismissed the lawsuit, prompting the Liberty Justice Center and FACTS LAW TRUTH JUSTICE to appeal the decision. In their opening brief, the plaintiffs argue that the lower court erred in three key ways:
- Concluding that Bonta’s title and summary were not false or misleading.
- Accepting Bonta’s claim that the initiative lacked exceptions for student safety, despite evidence to the contrary.
- Misinterpreting the initiative as aiming to outlaw social transitions, when it specifically addressed medical transitions.
READ: Liberty Justice Center Secures Victory For Parents’ Rights In California School Policy Battle
“Public officials are obligated to uphold the law at all times—not just when it advances their personal biases,” said Emily Rae, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “As California’s Attorney General, Bonta has a duty to provide a neutral title and summary to all proposed ballot initiatives, even those he disagrees with. He failed Californians and violated state law by prioritizing political grandstanding above that duty.”
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