The Anderson Union High School District and the Orange County Board of Education voted unanimously to join the Liberty Justice Center’s lawsuit against California’s AB 1955, a recently enacted law that bans parental notification policies across the state.
AB 1955, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 15, prohibits schools from informing parents if their children request to be addressed by a name or pronouns different from their birth gender or seek access to sex-segregated programs or bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The law also nullifies existing parental notification policies and enforces secrecy in some schools, requiring staff to withhold certain information from parents about their minor children.
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The Liberty Justice Center, a legal advocacy group, filed a lawsuit challenging the legislation the day after it was signed. The lawsuit claims that AB 1955 violates the First Amendment, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and seeks to prevent its implementation.
The Anderson Union High School District and the Orange County Board of Education have now joined the initial plaintiffs—the Chino Valley Unified School District and eight California parents—in the lawsuit titled Chino Valley Unified School District v. Newsom. The Liberty Justice Center has amended the lawsuit to include these new plaintiffs.
“AB 1955 is an attack on parents’ rights and a threat to children across California,” said Emily Rae, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center. “Parents have a constitutional right to direct their children’s upbringing and to know what administrators are telling their kids at school. We look forward to challenging this legislation in court.”
Anderson Union High School District President Jackie LaBarbera emphasized the importance of parental notification policies in fostering trust between parents and schools, stating, “Our board supports parents’ rights and is proud to join this lawsuit.”
Orange County Board of Education President Dr. Ken Williams and Vice President Mari Barke echoed this sentiment, underscoring the board’s commitment to parental rights and the role of parents in making the best decisions for their children.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California on July 16, 2024.
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