'A Trifecta of Harm': Federal Judge Says California School District Can't Force Teachers To Lie to Parents About Gender Identity

The ruling from the U.S. District Court for Southern California absolves two longtime teachers from complying with a mandate that they say violates their religious beliefs while courts continue vetting their case. Escondido Union School District adopted its secrecy policy to match the state’s own guidance, which does not have the force of law, instructing schools to conceal students’ gender explorations from parents.

"The school’s policy is a trifecta of harm: it harms the child who needs parental guidance and possibly mental health intervention to determine if the incongruence is organic or whether it is the result of bullying, peer pressure, or a fleeting impulse," U.S. District Court judge Roger Benitez wrote. "It harms the parents by depriving them of the long recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and make health care decisions for their children. And finally, it harms plaintiffs who are compelled to violate the parent’s rights by forcing plaintiffs to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students."

The ruling comes as California attorney general Rob Bonta has mounted an all-out battle against a growing number of school districts that are bucking state guidance to secretly transition kids. Earlier this month, Bonta secured a state court restraining order against Chino Valley Unified School District, the first to adopt a so-called parental notification policy for kids who ask to be treated as a different gender at school. A full hearing on the case is set for next month.

Please help put parents in charge of their child’s education by forwarding this article to other parents, family, friends and voters.