(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A Monterey County, California, school district agreed to pay a $100,000 fine after it facilitated a secret gender transition without the knowledge of the child’s parents, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the report, the staff of middle school teachers “convinced” the student, Alicia Konen, daughter of Jessica Konen, to identify as bisexual, and eventually as transgender, all without informing the mother of the 11-year-old.
As a result, the Spreckels Union School District was forced to pay $100,000 to the mother and her daughter for denying the mother the right to care for her own child, constituting a violation of the 14th amendment.
The lawsuit alleges that teachers were “instructing A.G. that she must not tell her mother about her new gender identity.”
The suit also notes that the policy of the school was effectively to “keep certain information about students’ gender identity and expression secret from parents.”
Both the mother and the daughter will receive $48,000, with the remaining $4,000 going to the California Department of Health Care Services to cover healthcare costs.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta noted previously that the California Department of Education Code dictates that the student has a right to privacy, and that such information cannot be released to parents without the student’s permission.
“Disclosing that a student is transgender without the student’s permission may violate California’s anti-discrimination law by increasing the student’s vulnerability to harassment and may violate the student’s right to privacy,” Bonta wrote.
Harmeet Dhillon, a member of the Republican National Committee, noted that the win will be important precedent in the larger push for parental rights across America.
“This win sends a clear message that parental rights must be respected,” said Dhillon, lead counsel for plaintiffs. “Jessica and Alicia’s courage continued to inspire countless other parents to stand against the violation of their rights.”
