California bans rules requiring schools to notify parents of child's pronoun change

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law barring school districts from passing policies that require schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.

The law bans rules requiring school staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child's permission. Proponents of the legislation say it will help protect LGBTQ+ students who live in unwelcoming households. But opponents say it will hinder schools' ability to be more transparent with parents.

The law comes amid a nationwide debate over local school districts and the rights of parents and LGBTQ+ students.

California Assemblymember Chris Ward, a Democrat representing San Diego, introduced the legislation in mid-May because of what he called a "growing national attack" on LGBTQ people.

"Although many LGBTQ youth have supportive families, some unfortunately continue to face rejection and are exposed to serious harm if pre-maturely forced to reveal their identity," Ward said on the Assembly floor last month.

The new law comes after several school districts in California passed policies requiring that parents be notified if a child requests to change their gender identification.

In Northern California's Placer County, the Rocklin Unified School District was sued by the state in May over allegations the district failed to carry out corrective actions in a controversial gender notification policy adopted last summer.

The adoption of such policies led to pushback by Democratic state officials, who say students have a right to privacy.

But Jonathan Zachreson, an advocate in California who supports the so-called parental notification policies, opposes the law and said telling parents about a student's request to change their gender identification is "critical to the well-being of children and for maintaining that trust between schools and parents."

A ballot measure that would have required California schools to adopt parental notification policies failed to gain enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.