Huntington Beach has filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom over Assembly Bill 1955, a new law related to K-12 students’ gender identities.
AB 1955, signed by Governor Newsom in July, prohibits school districts from creating policies that require employees to notify parents about their children’s gender identity and prevents retaliation against staff who refuse to share this information.
- The law is set to go into effect on January 1 but is facing legal challenges from parents and school districts.
- Huntington Beach officials argue that the law violates parents’ rights, stating that a student’s gender identity is a personal and private matter, not an educational issue, making it harder for schools to address secret social transitioning and potentially harming children with gender dysphoria.
Flashback: Huntington Beach passed an ordinance declaring itself a “Parents’ Right to Know” city, prohibiting educators from withholding information about a student’s gender identity from parents.
Driving the news: The city’s legal expenses for the lawsuit will be supported by the legal nonprofit America First Legal.
- The lawsuit names Governor Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as defendants.
What they’re saying: “This is the same egregious piece of legislation that seeks to compel educators to keep secret from parents sensitive, private, and often life-saving information related to their child’s gender issues and/or expression,” said Huntington Beach mayor Gracey Van Der Mark in a statement.
