Ninth Circuit Upholds Parental Rights in California
The Ninth Circuit recently determined that parental rights remain intact in California, countering Governor Gavin Newsom’s attempts to undermine them.
Last week, the Court of Appeals—reputed for its progressive leanings—blocked the enforcement of a 2024 law that would stop schools from informing parents if students express a desire to change their gender. This law, introduced in a political maneuver during the 2022 midterm elections, seemed aimed at bolstering local school board positions while frustrating conservative groups who resist what some perceive as “woke” indoctrination.
On a broader national scale, tensions have also flared. President Joe Biden and former Attorney General Merrick Garland previously labeled parents voicing concerns at school board meetings as “domestic terrorists.”
Such actions have, perhaps unsurprisingly, galvanized parents in their quest to reclaim authority over their children’s education, even in a deeply liberal state like California.
In Chino Hills, for instance, school board President Sonya Shaw is leading an initiative mandating schools to share critical information with parents. This need for transparency was spotlighted when California Superintendent Tony Thurmond made a scene at a board meeting, trying to have Shaw ejected.
Governor Newsom had enacted AB 1955 into law but struggled to justify his stance against parental rights. When questioned about parents’ rights to be informed about their children’s decisions, he deflected, suggesting it wasn’t a pressing issue for the electorate.
Despite polling showing that most Californians back parental rights, Newsom seems hesitant to confront the LGBTQ+ activists within his own political base. This tension has prompted parents and educators to bring their concerns to court, where earlier this year, the Supreme Court sided with them.
In a related development, Huntington Beach is suing the state over the same policy, exemplifying the friction between conservative localities and liberal state governance in Sacramento. Initially, the Ninth Circuit dismissed the city’s standing to sue, but following the Supreme Court’s decision, it reversed its judgment, recognizing Huntington Beach’s valid concerns.
Ultimately, last week’s ruling reinforced the idea that both parental rights and common sense are vital. After all, parents sign permission slips for school trips—certainly, they should know if their children are receiving counseling related to gender transition, possibly involving medication or surgery.
This ruling marks another instance of a law signed by Newsom being deemed unconstitutional, following a growing collection of his policies that have faltered in court, including a controversial ban on AI parody.
While Newsom has presented himself as a defender of democracy against figures like Donald Trump, voters might want to reconsider, as his record reveals a troubling pattern against constitutional rights, from free speech to parental authority.
