California is accused of keeping children's gender identity secret from their parents

The America First Legal Foundation, a conservative nonprofit founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, is covering at least part of the legal costs in the case.

“This is the same outrageous law that seeks to force educators to keep sensitive, private and often life-saving information about their child’s gender identity and/or gender expression secret from parents,” Ms. Van Der Mark said.

The city's lawsuit argues that gender reassignment or disclosure of a child's sexuality is a “personal and private matter and not an educational matter.”

The lawsuit includes anonymous reports from a number of concerned parents, some of whom have children who are not yet teenagers.

One mother claimed the school spent an entire school year supporting her teenage daughter in her “social transition” from girl to boy – even going so far as to print the child a new school sign with a male name on it – without telling her.

The mother stated that she was repeatedly denied a meeting with school officials and was forced to file several public records requests to obtain information about her child.

Although her daughter no longer identifies as male and is “becoming herself again,” the mother said she fears that the new law's enactment would “undermine” her parental rights and her ability to protect her child's mental health.

Child “used male pronouns at school without parents’ knowledge”

According to the lawsuit, another child under the age of 13 came out as transgender and began using male pronouns at school without his parents' knowledge.

In an act of concealment, the lawsuit says, the school allegedly continued to use the child's birth name and female pronouns in email correspondence with parents, while using the male name and male pronouns on homework assignments and when one of her teachers signed her yearbook.

“We all agree that a child's issues with gender confusion and gender expression are a very personal and private matter and have nothing to do with parenting,” Gates said.

“The reporting requirement serves in particular to maintain open communication so that parents are always informed and can take appropriate measures.

“It is tragic that teachers are then allowed to prevent this communication at their own discretion. Think of the abuses that could occur.”

“We will litigate in federal court and firmly believe that the state law violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

The lawsuit states that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees parents' right to make decisions about their minor children, particularly the right to refuse medical treatment – in this case, social transition.

Social transition occurs when someone is treated as a different gender (for example, through the use of facilities such as toilets and locker rooms and the pronouns used to address them), but the person has not undergone any hormonal or surgical intervention.

Law “protects children from forced outing policies”

It is agreed that the SAFETY Act does not prevent educators from disclosing information about a child's gender identity or sexual orientation to parents if doing so will protect the child's health or safety.

The law merely clarifies students' existing data protection rights and does not create any new ones.

The Huntington Beach City Council's decision to take legal action was met with hostility from LGBTQ+ activists, who say the new law protects children who may not feel safe coming out to their parents.

“This important legislation strengthens protections for LGBTQ+ youth from coercive outing policies, provides resources for parents and families of LGBTQ+ students to support them in conversations on their terms, and creates important safeguards to prevent retaliation against teachers and school staff who create a safe and supportive school environment for all students,” Tony Hoang, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California, told the Associated Press.

Brandon Richards, a spokesman for Governor Newsom, was reached by The Telegraph for comment and said, “This law helps protect children while preserving the important role of parents. It protects the relationship between child and parent by preventing politicians and school personnel from inappropriately interfering in family matters and trying to control if, when and how families have deeply personal conversations.”

A legal response has yet to be filed.