California is facing a lawsuit over a new law that would bar schools from requiring parents to notify them about their child's gender dysphoria.

The Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District and concerned parents whose children attend California public schools, challenging California Assembly Bill 1955, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday. The bill immediately faced opposition from parents and lawmakers who fear it would trample on parental rights and harm children.

Some California schools had implemented policies requiring school officials to notify parents if their child wanted to change their pronouns or gender by 2023, but this faced legal challenges and ultimately led to the new law.

“Most PK-12 teens are too young to drive, vote, or give their own medical consent. They're also too young to make life-changing decisions about their gender identity without their parents' knowledge. And yet that's exactly what AB 1955 would allow, with potentially devastating consequences for kids who are too young to fully understand it,” said Emily Ray, senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center. Said In a statement.

“While school officials have no right to hide secrets from parents, parents have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school. Parents are their children's legal guardians, not Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta or Superintendent Thurmond. We will continue to defend parental rights and the well-being of their children by challenging invasive laws like AB 1955 in court, at no cost to taxpayers,” Wray continued.

In a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, Governor Newsom's communications director, Izzy Gurdon, blasted critics of the bill.

“This is an entirely frivolous lawsuit that appears designed to stir up the trash heap that was once called Twitter rather than bring to the surface a legitimate legal claim,” Gurdon said. “AB 1955 protects parent-child relationships, California law ensures that minors cannot legally change their name or gender without parental consent, and consistent with federal law, parents continue to have guaranteed and full access to their students' education records. We are confident the state will swiftly prevail in this lawsuit.”

Gov. Newsom's spokesman, Brandon Richards, said Tuesday that the law is meant to protect children and parents.

“[The law] It protects parent-child relationships by preventing politicians and school officials from inappropriately interfering in family matters or trying to control if, when and how families have private conversations. (Related article: Nonprofit distributes DC taxpayer cash to families to discourage kids from skipping school)

“By signing AB 1955, Governor Newsom signaled his intention not to run for president. This law provides teachers with a right to parental confidentiality and contradicts long-standing case law that parents have the right to raise their children free from government interference,” said California Assemblyman Bill Essarri. Essarri has been an outspoken critic of the bill since it was introduced, calling it “immoral” and “unconstitutional.” statement The announcement came shortly after the law was signed on Monday.

California is the first state to ban such parental notification policies.

Liberty Justice Center and the Chino Valley Unified School District did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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