Paused: A court ruling that let teachers tell parents about a child's 'gender incongruity'

"A court order giving California teachers full freedom to tell parents about their child's gender identity at school is on hold after an appellate panel blocked it from going into immediate effect. Had the three-member panel not acted, the ruling, by a federal district judge, would have required immediate changes to policies at hundreds of school systems up and down the state."

"Across the state, "the policies apply to children as young as two and as old as seventeen," U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez wrote in his Dec. 22 ruling. "The policies do not permit teachers to use their own judgment in responding to an inquiring parent. Unless the child consents, the teacher who communicates about a child's gender incongruity faces adverse employment action.""

A federal district judge ordered that teachers may disclose students' gender identity to parents and gave state officials 20 days to show they had notified districts that confidentiality policies are unconstitutional. The ruling would have required immediate changes to policies across hundreds of school systems. Data cited showed at least 598 of California's 1,000 school districts restrict disclosures without student permission, including Los Angeles Unified. The judge noted policies cover children as young as two through seventeen and limit teacher discretion, with adverse employment consequences for noncompliance. An appellate panel placed a stay, pausing the order while the case proceeds.

Read at Los Angeles Times