"In a statement released by Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday, she accused CDE of "egregiously" abusing its authority by "pressuring school officials to withhold information about students' so-called 'gender transitions' from their parents." "Children do not belong to the State-they belong to families," she added. "We will use every available mechanism to hold California accountable for these practices and restore parental rights.""
"The statement specifically mentions the SAFETY Act - the Support Academic Futures & Educators for Today's Youth law - a 2024 law that prohibits forced outing "parental notification" policies in school districts. The law protects teachers and administrators from retaliation if they choose not to follow district directives to out queer kids to their parents. It also funds resources for parents and families of queer students to facilitate supportive conversations about their identities on terms that make the children feel safe and respected."
The U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office accused the California Department of Education of violating FERPA by prohibiting school districts from notifying parents when students request pronouns or facilities different from their sex assigned at birth. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the CDE abused its authority and pressured school officials to withhold information about students' gender transitions, vowed to hold California accountable, and emphasized that children belong to families. The statement cites the SAFETY Act, a 2024 law that bars forced-outing parental-notification policies, protects staff from retaliation, and funds resources to help parents support queer students safely.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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