California just sued Chino Valley Unified School District to strike down the district’s parental notification policy. The lawsuit filed by the California Attorney General on August 28, 2023, alleges that the school district’s policy requiring faculty and staff to notify parents of students’ attempted gender transition is a civil rights violation. 

But it gets worse. California legislature recently passed AB 957, which would amend the California Family Code to expand the definition of child abuse to include failing to affirm your child’s gender identity. By amending the family code, the legislation’s reach extends to every family in California. At least with the public school laws, a family can opt out by choosing a private school or homeschool option. There’s no opting out of the family code. Fortunately, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the legislation; his veto may be based on his national political ambitions, so this bill has only been paused rather than defeated.

The message is both disturbing and clear: the government has primary authority over children on the topic of gender identity, and parents with differing views must, by law, be excluded. In fact, if a parent evidences unapproved views, they’ll face child abuse charges and risk of losing custody of their child.

Hyperbole? No, reality. Here are some of things children can do without parent involvement in California public schools: declare a new gender identity, change their name and pronouns, dress differently from their dress at home, use a bathroom designated for children of the opposite gender, join a gender identity club, discuss gender-affirming hormone and surgery treatments with counselors, and ultimately seek out such treatments. 

California’s shield and sword strategy is chilling in its authoritarian overreach. Student privacy is used as a shield to withhold information from parents. Anti-discrimination laws are used as a sword to threaten parents who dare to disagree with state approved views. 

A couple of case studies highlight the devastating impact this has on non-assenting families: 

• In January 2022, a California mother claimed her daughter was groomed by predatory teachers in the Spreckels Unified School District. She alleged that teachers manipulated her seventh-grade daughter to change her gender identity without parent notification. The teachers invited students to the school’s Equality Club where they were coached on gender theory and how to express their gender identity. 

• Yaeli Martinez experienced depression as early as middle school and was bullied at school so her mom, Abigail, asked for support from the school. Abigail, who was born in El Salvador, alleges that the school led her daughter through an indoctrination process to change her gender identity as the solution to her depression. They encouraged Yaeli to enter foster care under promises of free affirming care. Abigail lost custodial rights because she refused to affirm the gender ideology espoused by the school. While Abigail worked to regain custody, she was limited to one hour of visitation per week and was told not to talk about God with her daughter.  She pleaded with school and court officials that 

  • her daughter needed mental healthcare for her depression and that changing her gender identity would not resolve her depression. Sadly, the school and family court didn’t listen, and Abigail’s worst fears where borne out when Yaeli stepped in front of a train in September 2019.

  California has created an entire super-structure designed to remove parents from this area of their child’s life. The State, school districts, counselors, medical community, and family courts are aligned against parental rights in this area. 

  Lest you think this is simply California insanity, Governor Gavin Newsome recently went on a national tour promising to bring California’s utopian vision to the rest of the country. What starts in California, doesn’t stay in California.

  What can parents do to protect their children? Some tips for parents of school aged children.

  • If you have the money, consider private schools that share your values.

  • If you have the time, consider homeschool.

  • Don’t assume the local public school has your child’s best interests in mind. Ask for copies of curriculum, reading lists and other educational materials. 

  • Proactively contact your school to learn how to exercise your opt-out rights. 

  • Volunteer in the classroom to see what’s going on in your child’s education. 

  • Get to know your child’s teachers. Some are great. Some want to indoctrinate.

  • Attend school board meetings so your voice is heard. 

  • Join or start a parents’ rights group to share information and band together. For example, Protect Kids California is an advocacy group proposing three ballot initiatives to protect children and parents’ rights.

  • Perhaps most importantly, invest time with your child instilling your values and beliefs, and give them the confidence to stand up to peer pressure and opposition. 

  Children are a gift to our families and treasure to our society. They face unparalleled attacks from a culture determined to take away their innocence. The time has come to stand up and be counted. How we protect our children from the spirit of the age will be our legacy.

About "Kingdom in the Redwoods"

Kingdom in the Redwoods is a fast-moving adventure transporting readers to not one, but two, captivating worlds where they’ll join the amazing journey of Aaron, Benji, and Hannah as they’re tested in ways they never imagined. Kingdom delivers a feast of fun, light, and hope, while exploring goodness, beauty, and truth in a chaotic world. Kingdom illuminates our King and His victory over the world, while inviting readers to explore what it means to be made in the image of the King, how to find their purpose in life, and how to live confidently, courageously, and with peace of mind.

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