On Tuesday, violence reportedly broke out between parental rights groups and pro-LGBTQ+ activists over transgender student parental notification policies at schools in Los Angeles.
According to California-based outlet KTLA, the groups clashed outside fo the L.A. Unified School District headquarters during a demonstration. Police officers arrived after it turned violent (via KTLA 5):
Skirmish lines were set up between the dueling groups and multiple people were taken into custody for “becoming violent, pushing officers, and throwing items,” police said.
Reportedly, the parental rights groups want the district to adopt a policy that would require schools to notify parents if their child identifies as “transgender” or anything other than the sex listed on their birth certificate:
Supporters of the policy believe it’s a parent’s right to be notified of information involving their child, while critics believe the move could open up discrimination or potentially put students in a harmful situation.
“We want, in law, a parental notification measure to let us in on how our child is being raised,” Ben Richards, one of the parental rights supporters, told the outlet. “But the fact of the matter is, we have people fighting us against it because they want to hide things from parents.”
Townhall covered how several school districts in California have announced that they will not follow Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies. The first to do so was the Chino Valley Unified School District, which came under investigation by Newsom’s administration as a result.
“Chino Valley Unified’s forced outing policy threatens the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students vulnerable to harassment and potential abuse from peers and family members unaccepting of their gender identity,” California AG Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Students should never fear going to school for simply being who they are.”
Despite this, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District board announced it would take up a measure that would require school staff to “out” trans kids to their parents. And, this week, the Orange Unified School District is considering a similar policy.