A court in San Bernardino, California, has temporarily banned a policy that would notify parents when their kid requested to use a pronoun or identity that does not correspond with their given gender at birth.
On Wednesday, September 6, Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Garza granted a temporary restraining order against parts of the new Chino Valley Unified School District policy that address gender and sex. He warned that the issue was very sensitive and should be treated as such moving forward.
"How do we safeguard these students who identify as LGBTQ? And in my view, it's a situation that is singling out a class of protected individuals differently than the rest of the students," Garza said, according to CNN.
Notably, the judge's ruling does not affect the parts of the Chino Valley district policy that deal with parental notice in cases of attempted suicide, threats, and bullying.
Potential Harm to Non-Conforming Teens
The Chino Valley's policy was enacted by the school district in July. The verdict comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the district last month. Bonta has condemned the "forced outing policy" as a danger to the well-being of non-conforming teens who do not have a sense of belonging at school or home.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Bonta lauded the verdict, saying it properly safeguards children from harm and promotes the rights of our state's LGBTQ+ student community.
Meanwhile, on the same day the court handed down the decision, another school district in Sacramento decided to establish a policy mirroring Chino Valley's.
When a student in the Rocklin Unified School District chooses to use pronouns other than those associated with their biological sex or gender, or requests to be referred to by a name other than their given name, the district must notify the parents within three days. District trustee Dereck Counter remarked, "All we're doing is adding parent notification, parent communication, keeping those people involved."
Third-grade teacher Jessica Hardy expressed concern to the board that the policy might damage students' and teachers' relationships.
Parents' Right to Know
The policies are part of a broader trend by conservative lawmakers across the country to restrict LGBTQ people's ability to engage in a variety of daily activities, including access to health care, the use of public restrooms, and participation in sports.
Andi Johnston, a spokesman for the Chino Valley Unified School District, said they respect the court's decision and will continue to work toward the district's goal of strengthening ties between the school and the home.
Previously, School district president Sonja Shaw defended the policy and dismissed fears that it may do damage to students. Shaw made it clear that children who come to school seeking to be called anything other than their birth name are asking to be open with their transition. "The parent has every right to know about that."
