A coalition of states is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize parental rights regarding transgender policies involving their children.
A coalition of 17 state attorneys general is urging the Supreme Court to recognize parents’ rights in a case involving a Maryland school district’s policies on transgender issues, according to a report by Fox News.
Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia joined the coalition, which is being led by West Virginia.
The coalition is reportedly challenging a case in which an appeals court ruled that parents do not have the right to sue Montgomery County Public Schools over a policy that allows teachers and administrators to transition children without parental knowledge or consent.
The Montgomery County Board of Education had reportedly adopted a policy in 2020-2021 that addresses transgender-identifying students’ alternative names, pronouns, athletics, extracurricular activities, locker rooms, bathrooms, and “safe spaces, safe zones, and other safety supports.” The policy also prohibits schools from notifying parents without the student’s consent.
“Prior to contacting a student’s parent/guardian, the principal or identified staff member should speak with the student to ascertain the level of support the student either receives or anticipates receiving from home,” the policy states.
A case brought by three parents of students at Montgomery County Public Schools over the district’s “gender support plan” was dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in August.
“This egregious policy completely sidesteps parents’ rights and severs them from having involvement in their child’s physical, emotional, mental and social well-being,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement announcing the coalition.
“Any time any organization or institution seeks to hide what they do when our children are in their care, it’s a huge red flag,” Morrisey added. “Why would a school board encourage students to keep secrets from their parents?”
In a brief, the coalition stated that “the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by the Court [is] the right of parents to direct the care and custody of their children.”
“Parents must have the right to ask for the courts’ help in securing the fundamental right to know what schools are doing with our kids,” the brief added.
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