Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to hear case on school gender policy guidelines
A coalition of 17 Republican state attorneys general filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case challenging a school district’s gender policy guidelines, which allow students to use names, pronouns and restrooms or facilities consistent with their gender identity while prohibiting parental notification without the student’s consent.
The brief, led by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and filed on Jan. 4, opposes the decision by the 4th U.S. Court of Appeals, which found the parents challenging the guidelines did not have standing to sue the school board in Montgomery County, Md. “This egregious policy completely sidesteps parents’ rights and severs them from having involvement in their child’s physical, emotional, mental and social well-being,” Morrisey said in a press release announcing the move. “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,” he said. “Why would a school board encourage students to keep secrets from their parents?” Advocates warn mandatory notification is effectively forced outing, which violates students’ constitutional right to privacy.
The practice can also be dangerous; according to the 2015 Transgender Survey, 10 percent of trans people encounter physical violence from a family member and 15 percent are kicked out of or run away from their homes.
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