California Republicans slam AB-1955, the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act, which blocks schools from telling parents of their children's pronoun transitions.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Okay, good afternoon everyone, sorry I'm late, let's get started.
00:04Many of you already heard from me about this issue, so I'll keep my comments short.
00:07I want you to hear from the broad coalition of parent and
00:11child advocates that we have today to speak about this bill that is a great concern.
00:17The main message we wanna get out today is that this bill that is being made
00:22through the legislature is being advanced on false pretenses and
00:27on frankly disinformation.
00:29There is a false narrative that there is an agenda to somehow hurt,
00:34target, or harm children based on their gender ideology.
00:38That cannot be further from the truth.
00:40There's also a false argument that this is designed to forcibly out children.
00:45That's also not true.
00:46What we blew up here, we want you to see clearly,
00:49what are the policies that are being attacked?
00:52Chino board policy has been used as the poster child for the basis of this bill.
00:58I want you to see their policy.
01:00Their policy is right there.
01:02It does not require parental notification unless the child.
01:06That side.
01:07Sorry, that side.
01:08It does not require parental notification until and
01:12unless the child themselves request that their gender be changed on school records.
01:18It is up to the child to decide when and how parents get notified.
01:24But if the school is gonna be involved in changing their gender,
01:28then you better damn well believe the parents are gonna be involved as well.
01:31And so with that, I also want to state where did this start from?
01:36This started with the Secretary of Education putting out, I assume it's here,
01:42a memo that told schools that children have a right to privacy from their parents and
01:47you are not to share information with them.
01:49That is false.
01:51That is not true.
01:52That is not supported by any law.
01:54And it's certainly not supported by our constitution.
01:56So that's where this started.
01:58Everything after that has been in response to this really reckless,
02:02dangerous, undemocratic policy that's been pushed by Tony Thurmond,
02:07who I hope will never be governor of this state.
02:09So with that, is our leader here?
02:13He's not here, so we're gonna jump to Chino Valley School Board President,
02:16Sonia Shah.
02:18Gallagher is here.
02:19Let me welcome our Assembly Republican leader.
02:23Thank you, Assemblyman.
02:24It's good to be with you all today.
02:25Thank you.
02:26As we stand here this morning, standing for parents' rights.
02:33And that's what this has always been about.
02:36And let's remember where we actually began.
02:39These policies came about because the Department of Education
02:43was telling school districts that you must keep secrets from parents.
02:47And they still are.
02:48It's on their website.
02:50It's on the California Department of Education's website that if a child tells
02:54them not to tell the parents, you cannot tell the parents.
02:57You are required not to.
02:59Here's the problem.
03:00Where does that come from?
03:02Is it in state statute anywhere?
03:04No.
03:05Is it in any law in the state of California that teachers, administrators,
03:10school officials should be keeping secrets from parents about what's going on
03:14with their kid?
03:15No, it's not in there.
03:17But through this basically dark guidance,
03:21this underground regulation, they've been telling school districts that they
03:26must do this.
03:26So some school districts fought back and said, no, this isn't the law.
03:31And in fact, we have local control.
03:33Because school districts do have local control over education decisions.
03:37And they can pass policies for how they're gonna interact in their communities and
03:40how they can interact with parents.
03:43And so they were bold and brave.
03:45And they said, we're gonna do this and
03:46make sure that parents are notified in these circumstances.
03:50And what did they get in return?
03:51They're getting now sued.
03:53They're getting shut down.
03:55They're actually winning these court cases though, aren't they?
03:58Yeah.
03:59Because when we go to court, we're finding out that
04:04actually the law is that parents are in control.
04:07That's the law.
04:08That the parents have the right to direct the well-being and
04:12upbringing and the education of their child.
04:16That is the law of the land.
04:18And so we believe that that is ultimately what will win in the end here.
04:23This bill that is being proposed is certainly the antithesis of that,
04:27trying to ban these policies.
04:29And I'll end with this.
04:29The other thing that this bill is, it's very ironic.
04:32And I'm glad that we have Ms. Tapia with us this morning.
04:36Who was, as an educator, as a teacher, said, no, I'm not going to do that.
04:40That's wrong.
04:42And I can't in good conscience go along with these policies that aren't supported
04:45by statute, that are underground regulations, but
04:49more importantly are wrong by not informing parents.
04:52And had the courage to say, no, I'm not gonna do that.
04:54This bill, right now, provides protections for
04:58educators who will go along with that policy, right?
05:02And say, hey, no retaliation if you don't inform parents.
05:07And I've asked the authors, how about in the other alternate?
05:11What if teachers say, look, I'm going to tell parents any protections for
05:15them from retaliation?
05:18Any protections in those instances?
05:19They still haven't done it.
05:21They don't make it both ways.
05:22It's only if you go along with their underground policies.
05:26I mean, it's unbelievable, right?
05:28But thank God that there are teachers who are standing up.
05:31And that's exactly what happened to her.
05:32Actually, as far as I know, the only one who's actually been retaliated against is
05:36her, for having the courage to stand up.
05:39And so look, we know these policies are wrong.
05:42We are gonna continue to fight against them.
05:44My hope is that the voices of parents, and educators, and so
05:48many who have said, look, this is not the right policy.
05:50We need to be involving parents.
05:53And think about that, shouldn't that be the default, that we involve parents?
05:57Instead, their policy is the opposite.
06:00In their world, all parents have the potential to be evil and
06:06bad influences on a child.
06:08And all teachers, and administrators, and counselors at schools are always good for
06:15the kids, cuz that's what they're saying.
06:16You shouldn't tell parents because maybe some parents
06:20might do something bad to that child or something, right?
06:23Well, if somebody's being abusive, they're mandatory reporters, and
06:27they can mandatory report that, right?
06:29But always, the default should be parents are in control, parents are informed.
06:34And that's what I think is just so
06:36wrong about what they're trying to do with this policy.
06:38So anyway, we are gonna be fighting against that.
06:40Thank you all for being here today.
06:42Thank you for so many who have been involved in this fight up and down the state.
06:46We are going to continue to call out this terrible policy, and stand up for
06:51what's right, and stand up for parents.
06:52Now we have Chino Valley Unified School District President, Sonia Shah.
07:04Good afternoon, guys.
07:05My name's Sonia Shah.
07:06I'm the President of Chino Valley Unified School Board.
07:08And today, I stand before you to confront a critical and
07:12unconstitutional threat to parental rights, AB 1955.
07:16This bill strips parents of their fundamental rights and
07:19places our children in grave danger.
07:21For ten years, the California Department of Ed has perpetrated a massive lie,
07:27falsely claiming that teachers must withhold critical information from parents
07:30under a phantom state law that grants children's privacy rights against their
07:34own parents.
07:35Let me be clear, no law, no law exists.
07:40Schools were manipulated into deceiving parents, but the truth has been exposed.
07:44Teachers and parents fought back with lawsuits, and our board,
07:48along with a handful of others, implemented a policy demanding honesty with parents.
07:53Additionally, our districts took a bold stance against the prevailing policy
07:58adopted by most school districts across California,
08:01which mandated secrecy regarding sensitive matters.
08:06We rescinded that outdated approach and introduced a policy ensuring transparency,
08:11declaring that we will not keep secrets from parents.
08:14This led to the political cartel of Bonta, Thurman, and
08:18the rest of them by suing us in court.
08:21We are still in the middle of a legal battle over what they call an illegal policy.
08:27All while now they champion AB 1955 to make their unlawful legislation law.
08:33Now, make it make sense, guys.
08:35They're doing this because they are losing in court, and they know it, and
08:38they're desperate.
08:39AB 1955 was pushed through with a gut and amend tactic to remove local control,
08:46so they can take control of your children and
08:49exit parents out of their constitutional right.
08:52This eradicates parent parental involvement, violates FERPA,
08:56the California Constitution, and the US Constitution.
08:59I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, including the 14th Amendment,
09:03which includes parents' rights in the upbringing of their children, and
09:06so did many of them.
09:08The political cartel coined terms like forced outing policy,
09:11when it wasn't an effort to intimidate and silence parents and schools.
09:16But let me be clear, the parental notification policy is not an outing policy.
09:21The notification, as Bill pointed out,
09:23is only in place when a child wants to change their official or unofficial records.
09:29Now, you tell me, how can a child come out to thousands of other peers and
09:33the staff, but not their own parents?
09:36We've witnessed the havoc special interest groups and
09:39unions have wreaked on few board members that dare to implement similar policies.
09:44Pay attention, your kids are their target.
09:47Moreover, I will say this is right out of the page of a Marxist playbook.
09:52We, the people, will not stand by and do nothing.
09:54Interfering with our children was a big mistake.
09:57Let me say, these special interest group supporters have threatened my life along
10:02with other people's lives, and that should make any parent shiver.
10:06Because if they want our life for standing in front of your child,
10:09imagine how bad they want your child.
10:12And Scott Wiener, and to all the others who dare to claim that their children
10:16are ours, these are not your children, period.
10:20I urge every parent and resident to join us in this fight.
10:23Together, we will hold accountable those who seek to erode our rights and
10:27manipulate our children.
10:29Let our voices unite to defend truth, transparency, and
10:33the sacred bond between parents and child.
10:35They picked this fight, and they're gonna lose this battle.
10:38And remember Proverbs 31, 8, 9, we are the voice for the voiceless.
10:42Yes.
10:43Yes.
10:45Yes.
10:45Yes.
10:47Next, we have former teacher Jessica Tapia.
10:50Hello, my name is Jessica Tapia.
10:55Early last year, I stood in front of the very high school I was fired from,
10:59as Bill Asaylee hosted a press conference on AB 1314.
11:03A bill that was supposed to bring honesty and
11:05trust between parents and schools.
11:07During that press conference, I shared about how I had just been fired as
11:11a teacher for saying that I would not lie to parents or withhold crucial
11:15information from them about their child's well being surrounding any desire to be
11:19the opposite gender.
11:20I knew I was wrongfully fired because my school district put in writing
11:24that they could not accommodate my religious beliefs.
11:27When I let them know why I would not be able to comply with these various
11:31transgender policies.
11:33Myself and Advocates for Faith and Freedom filed a lawsuit against my school district.
11:37And just last month, we settled my case for $360,000,
11:41which is three times what they owed me since terminating me.
11:44So here is the point I want to make.
11:49Teachers don't lie.
11:52And any teacher who is willing to lie has no business educating children.
11:56So how many moral teachers will it take to stand up and say,
12:00I will not lie to parents.
12:01Get fired for refusing what might soon be a law, sue their school district or
12:06the state for that matter.
12:07For the powers at play to realize that a policy like AB 1955 is going to cause
12:12more harm and no good.
12:15It is going to cost districts financially as more teachers rise up like myself.
12:19It's going to cause schools to lose the very teachers who parents want teaching
12:23their children.
12:24Because those teachers with morals are quitting in droves right now.
12:27At the thought of foregoing their personal beliefs and
12:30lying to a precious child and his or her parents.
12:33The educators with morality in this state will not tolerate being compelled to lie.
12:39Our rights do not end at the schoolhouse gate.
12:41And our rights are not second class to any policy or
12:45law surrounding the special rights of gender identifying minors.
12:50Parents have the God given and constitutional right to know everything
12:53that is going on with their child.
12:55And government education will not get in the way of that.
12:58Thank you.
12:59Now we have Orange County School Board member,
13:02Orange County School Board of Education member Mary Barky.
13:07Thank you, great to be here today.
13:09My concern is that we're teaching children to lie.
13:12Since when is it okay to teach children to lie and of all people to lie to their parents?
13:17And furthermore, we're asking parents, or I'm sorry,
13:20we're asking teachers to lie to parents.
13:22That is never, never a good thing.
13:25Teachers and parents have a very special relationship, and
13:28when you ruin that relationship, it doesn't have a good ending.
13:32But the biggest concern is that parents need to be in their children's lives.
13:37We love our children, nobody loves children like parents do.
13:40We're always there for them, we always will be.
13:43And it's proven that when parents are in children's lives, that children thrive.
13:47So we need to make sure that we are not asking children to lie to their parents,
13:52that we're not asking teachers to lie to parents.
13:55Because when there are lies, there's never a good ending.
13:59So I hope that we will not encourage anyone to lie.
14:03Now I wanna welcome Pastor Tim Thompson.
14:08Hi, I'm Tim Thompson.
14:13I'm a senior pastor of 412 Church in Temecula Valley.
14:16And I wanna let you know that approximately 25 million
14:20California residents claim the Christian faith.
14:23That is almost seven out of every ten people that live here in California.
14:27For those 200, I'm sorry, for those 25 million citizens, our holy scriptures
14:31outline for us the guidelines for
14:34how we were to navigate the various issues that life throws at us.
14:38When considering those guidelines, Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse 19 tells us
14:43that we shall teach these guidelines to our children,
14:46speaking with them when you sit in your house.
14:49When you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
14:52The whole idea with that is all aspects of your life, no matter where you are,
14:56no matter what the situation is, we're always, as Christians,
15:00supposed to be teaching our children the guidelines that God has instituted.
15:05This is America.
15:06In America, parents have the right to direct the upbringing of their children.
15:10And as Christian Americans, we have an obligation, a religious obligation,
15:14to instruct our children in all aspects of their lives,
15:17including our children's sexuality, gender, and even their gender roles.
15:23What we're hearing from members of our state legislature is that we cannot be
15:26trusted with this responsibility.
15:29We're hearing that they believe the state knows better how to raise our children
15:33than we do, and that children who are not yet old enough to get a tattoo, or
15:37drink a beer, or buy a gun, or serve in our armed forces, or in many cities
15:41across this state, even stay out after 10 o'clock, can make decisions about their
15:45health that will affect the rest of their lives without first consulting
15:49the very people who are held responsible for their lives, the parents.
15:54AB 1955 seems to deliberately limit the Jewish and Christian parents'
15:59ability to carry out their religious obligation as it pertains
16:03to the context of school environment.
16:05And I'm respectfully calling on all members of our state legislature and
16:09our governor to say no to this very dangerous bill.
16:13Thank you.
16:14Now I want to welcome Family Council President Jonathan Keller.
16:24Thank you, Assemblyman.
16:25My name is Jonathan Keller.
16:26I'm the President of California Family Council, and we represent tens of
16:30thousands of citizens and families across the Golden State.
16:34And I stand before you on behalf of those families in strong opposition to AB 1955.
16:39This is a misguided piece of legislation that threatens the fundamental rights of
16:43all Californians.
16:45It seeks to abolish local parental notification policies, and
16:48it is creating a wall of secrecy between schools and families.
16:53This could lead to situations where parents are unaware of their child's struggles,
16:57such as bullying or
16:58mental health issues, until they escalate to a point that may be too late.
17:03This bill isn't just a matter of policy.
17:05It is an assault on family integrity and trust.
17:08Parental rights are not a privilege that the state gives us.
17:12They are the cornerstone of our society and
17:14vital for the well-being of all of our children.
17:17AB 1955 would propose to sever this crucial link between parents and schools,
17:26legalizing the withholding of crucial information about a child's mental health
17:30and gender identity.
17:32This defies both logic and the natural order of family life.
17:37Our coalition of parents, educators, faith leaders,
17:41we implore the Assembly Education Committee to do the right thing and
17:44reject this dangerous bill.
17:47We stand for transparency, for trust within families, for
17:50the right of parents to be involved in the pivotal decisions affecting their
17:55child's life.
17:57Consider the wisdom found in Proverbs 22.6.
18:01Train up a child in the way he or she should go.
18:04Even when they are old, they will not depart from it.
18:07This sacred duty falls to parents who cannot fulfill their role
18:13if they are kept in the dark about their own child's struggles and experiences.
18:17AB 1955 would set a dangerous precedent and
18:22undermine the very fabric of family unity.
18:25It assumes that schools, not parents, know what's best for children.
18:29This is a grave miscalculation that could have lasting detrimental effects on
18:33family dynamics and children's overall well-being.
18:37So once again, I urge all of our legislators to contemplate the far
18:41reaching consequences of this rushed and unnecessary legislation.
18:46Let's not drive a wedge between parents and children.
18:49Instead, let's champion policies that fortify family bonds and
18:54uphold parental rights.
18:56For the sake of our children and the future of our great state,
19:01I call upon you to reject AB 1955.
19:03Okay, now last but certainly not least.
19:10Erin Friday with Our Duty.
19:12Where's Erin?
19:12Hi, my name is Erin Friday and
19:20I'm a lifelong Democrat who voted for same sex marriage.
19:24AB 1955 is a double secret bill.
19:28Secret one is that parents will not be consulted before other adults,
19:32adults who are in the child's life for a matter of a few hours a week,
19:36over less than a year.
19:38And yes, those adults who disappear as the child advances in age,
19:42those adults who do not know the comorbid mental health issues of the child.
19:47They will decide for
19:48the parents whether socially transitioning is the best interest of their child.
19:54Secret two is that parents will be adjudicated abusive
19:58without even knowing that they've been accused, guilty until proven innocent.
20:04Because the nefarious authors of AB 1955 and
20:09Assemblyman Al Martucci believe that all parents are abusive and
20:14cannot be trusted with knowing that their child is suffering from an acute
20:19distress with their natural body, which is gender dysphoria,
20:23a mental health issue that is contained in the diagnostic
20:27to statistical manual of mental illness.
20:31After I disenrolled my daughter from her grooming school that called her a boy,
20:37those teachers said that my daughter needed a safe space to be her authentic self.
20:44After I pulled her from the school, they never called her.
20:47They never checked to see how she was doing.
20:50They damaged my daughter and then disappeared,
20:53leaving me to undo the severe psychological damage that they
20:58perpetrated on my depressed daughter.
21:02It's ironic, isn't it, that when the Democrats are mandating more and
21:07more forced transgender education on our children, medical providers and
21:13employers, that they always use the threat of suicide.
21:18First, it was 41% of all trans identified kids contemplate suicide.
21:25Then it was 78% last year.
21:28Now it's 87%.
21:33I dare those voting for this bill to explain just how keeping
21:38suicidality of a child from the parents makes that child safe.
21:43Ask them, press, ask them how hiding a child's heightened suicide risk
21:50makes a child safe.
21:52Thank you so much.
21:53Okay, the hearing on this bill is starting in five minutes.
22:00So we're gonna head over there now.
22:02Thank you all so much for being here.