A recently introduced U.S. Senate bill would withhold federal funding from schools with transgender support policies that do not require parental consent before changing a student’s name or pronouns on school records.
The Parental Rights Over the Education and Care of Their (PROTECT) Kids Act, introduced by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Tuesday, would cut funding from elementary and middle schools that allow students to change their pronouns and gender markers on school forms without first obtaining permission from their parents. That means that faculty and staff would effectively have to “out” transgender students to their parents if a student wishes to have their gender identity acknowledged in schools.
The bill would also prevent transgender-identifying students from using restrooms or locker rooms matching their gender identity unless their parents consent.
The text of bill does not go as far as recent Virginia Department of Education “model policies” that require trans students to use single-user restrooms or changing spaces — which would appear to allow more liberal-leaning school districts to keep in place policies they’ve adopted permitting trans students to access multi-user facilities that match their gender identities, as long as parents are notified beforehand and consent to such accommodations.
Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, Scott claimed his legislation is a “common sense bill” that centers the rights of parents in making decisions regarding the education and upbringing of their children. The measure is being backed by conservative groups like Parents Defending Education Action and Independent Women’s Voice, reports The Hill.
The latter organization has crafted model legislation to bar transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity, and has pushed for a “Women’s Bill of Rights” that would effectively bar any recognition of transgender women as “female.”
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) have signed on as co-sponsors of Scott’s bill.
“Schools exist to educate children — not indoctrinate them. And a quality education requires input from those who know children best: their parents,” Scott said in a statement. “Sadly, radical and secretive gender policies have shut parents out of the conversation and broken their trust.
“My bill will safeguard parental rights, improve the crucial relationship between parents and schools, and ensure that children can learn in an environment free from activist ideology,” he added.
Scott’s bill continues the trend of conservative lawmakers around the county embracing the issue of “parental rights” when it comes to what children are taught in schools, what books they can access in school libraries (even if such books are not part of an official curriculum), and support services, such as counseling, that are provided to students.
Republicans have seized upon the issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections, railing against school “indoctrination” in order to justify bills that limit how gender identity and sexual orientation are talked about in schools.
Scott’s bill specifically references transgender support policies that have been adopted by school districts in Maryland, Virginia, and Iowa that allow students to “socially transition” — meaning having their names, pronouns, and gender identity affirmed without pursuing medical interventions — without parental consent, in order to avoid prematurely “outing” trans students to their parents.
“Regardless of their intentions, these schools are sabotaging the parent-child relationship and encouraging children to keep secrets from the adults who are charged with protecting and defending them — their parents,” Scott’s bill reads. “Children do best when their parents are actively involved in their education. School districts, activist organizations, and teachers unions must never be allowed to intrude on parental rights by concealing critical information from parents about their children.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has canceled a $12 million grant to California’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) -- a federal initiative created under the Affordable Care Act to teach abstinence and contraception to at-risk youth.
The Trump administration balked at the program’s inclusion of transgender identity, reports Reuters, accusing educators of "indoctrinating" children with "gender ideology."
In a letter to the California Department of Public Health, HHS said it was rescinding the grant because "the grant is not being administered consistent with the authorizing statute, as the funded programs and services include gender ideology which is outside the scope of the statute."
The U.S. Department of Education says it will begin suspending or cutting off federal funds to five Northern Virginia school districts that refused to roll back transgender-inclusive policies by an August 15 deadline.
"The Virginia districts will have to defend their embrace of radical gender ideology over ensuring the safety of their students," the agency wrote in a statement.
The five districts -- Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County public schools -- were previously threatened with losing federal funding after the Education Department determined that their trans-affirming policies, including allowing transgender students to use restrooms matching their gender identity, infringe on the rights of non-transgender students.
Loudoun County Public Schools will maintain its LGBTQ nondiscrimination policies -- including allowing transgender students to use facilities that match their gender identity -- despite threats of penalties from the U.S. Department of Education.
On August 12, after a closed session meeting, the Loudoun County School Board voted 6-3 to inform the Department of Education that while it was open to further discussion, it could not "at this time" agree to the changes the agency demanded, reports The Washington Post.
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