California gender-secrecy law for students suffers another legal defeat in SoCal city

A California law that bars schools from telling parents if their child comes out as transgender has been temporarily blocked after a federal appeals court sided with a conservative Southern California city challenging the measure.The Ninth Circuit’s ruling marks a dramatic turnaround in a legal fight between the state and Huntington Beach, which has argued that parents have a right to know about changes related to their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity.“The Ninth Circuit’s decision is a powerful vindication of parental rights,” said Nick Barry, senior counsel at the Trump-aligned America First Legal, which represented the city of Huntington Beach.“California cannot use state law to force schoolteachers and administrators into a conspiracy of silence against parents,” he declared.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

Please provide a valid email.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story The order for now blocks a state law signed by Gov.Gavin Newsom in July 2024 that made California the first state to bar school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of their child’s gender identification.Huntington Beach city council was aghast when Newsom signed the law.

The city decided to respond by passing a “Parents Right to Know” ordinance that requires teachers to inform parents of their children’s sexual orientation and gender identification.The ordinance was intended to push back against state Democrats who argued that “outing” a child’s sexual identity to family members could be harmful, according to then-Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark.“This call for an Ordinance represents the city taking a stand against Sacramento’s overreach in its blatant invasion of the parent-child relationship,” she said.The city later sued the state, but a federal court in 2025 denied Huntington ...