AG Bonta Challenges Parental Rights Policy on Student Mental Health Issues

The Sacramento Democrats are targeting yet another California school board hoping to override the elected members’ decision. Attorney General Rob Bonta recently announced a civil rights investigation into a policy enacted in late July by the Chino Valley Unified School District.

After a long and contentious meeting on the issue, CVUSD board members voted 4-1 that parents must be notified if their child chooses to go by a different name, use different pronouns, or participate in activities specifically for the opposite gender. With the extremely Progressive California legislature on the precipice of passing a bill that would label a parent as “abusive” if he/she does not “affirm” a child’s gender preferences, this was a preemptive safeguard put in place by the school board.

Right after the board made its decision, Sonja Shaw, president of CVUSD, appeared on “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” to discuss the policy saying, “A lot of it has to do with the perversion of our children and, with all these bills on the table, it only made sense to put some safeguards back in place… a coalition of us worked on this policy… and it only made sense to bring it forward.” In response to the board’s new policy, Shaw also reportedly received death threats from extreme trans activists claiming they would murder her and dismember her body.

In a statement from Bonta’s office, the attorney general explained that the state is looking to step in and override the board’s decision in hopes of “protecting the legal rights, physical safety, and mental health of children in California schools, and in protecting them from trauma, harassment, bullying, and exposure to violence and threats of violence.”

Either Bonta did not read the text of CVUSD’s policy, or he is suggesting that parents will harass, bully, or perpetrate violence on their children. Both scenarios are wildly unacceptable. The policy clearly states that  the “principal/designee, certificated staff, and school counselors, shall notify the parent(s)/guardian(s), in writing, within three days from the date any district employee, administrator, or certificated staff” become aware of the student exhibiting gender non-conforming behaviors. The directive does not mention notifying the entire school body or making an announcement over the PA system. How does using discretion to notify solely a child’s parent lead directly to harassment, bullying, or violence?

Furthermore, the latter part of the policy is written to combat bullying or violence that might occur under any circumstances. The policy states, “The principal/designee or certificated staff shall notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of any incident or complaint of a verbal or physical altercation involving their child, including bullying by or against their child, within three days of the occurrence.” The inclusion of this section of the policy suggests that the school board is cognizant of and proactively protecting against the exact harassment and bullying Bonta is claiming the policy will spark. 

Perhaps the most important piece of CVUSD’s policy, however, has gone unnoticed and unmentioned by many. The school board has also included a section in the policy that covers self-harm and suicidal ideations. The inclusion of this speaks to two points. First, it makes this policy all encompassing when it comes to parental notification of potentially life-changing and harmful acts involving their children. 

Second, the policy is turning a disgusting trick the extreme gender ideologists use against them. One of the common tropes repeated by these militant activists is that children who question their gender expression are more likely to commit acts of self-harm or attempt suicide. It is used to scare parents into not asking questions and simply go along with what “the experts” say. By including suicidal thoughts in their policy, CVUSD is indirectly linking it to gender non-conformity, just as the activists have pushed. Notifying parents of a child questioning their gender is a way of assessing the needs of the child and hopefully preventing potential thoughts of self-harm from surfacing in the first place. If activists claim there is a strong correlation between trans-identity and suicidal thoughts, yet they do not wish for parents to be notified unless the child’s life is in jeopardy, then it appears they do not advocate for finding ways to mitigate the deteriorating mental health that leads to those suicidal thoughts—not a good position to take.

Involving parents in the mental health of their children should not be a partisan issue. Notifying a parent of something out of the ordinary that could possibly change their child’s life should not be partisan. Unfortunately, the Progressive Democrat officials in California believe teachers, administrators, and the government know what is best for California citizens, and if local elected officials do not fall in line, they are there to overrule and put them back in their place.