San Diego judge certifies class action suit over school gender policies
A San Diego judge certified a class action lawsuit challenging California school district policies regarding student gender identity disclosures to parents.Summary
A San Diego federal judge has certified a class action lawsuit filed by two Escondido teachers against the Escondido Union School District concerning policies related to transgender and gender-nonconforming students. The teachers, Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, initially sought to prevent the enforcement of policies requiring them to use students’ preferred pronouns and withhold gender identity information from parents. Judge Roger Benitez had previously issued a preliminary injunction against the district enforcing these policies. His recent order expands the scope of the lawsuit to include all state public education employees and parents/guardians who object to or seek exemptions from such policies. A summary judgment hearing on November 17th could have statewide implications if the judge rules the policies unconstitutional. While the state argued that policies vary by district, Judge Benitez stated that local districts must adhere to state guidelines. Attorney Paul Jonna stated that the certification “recognizes that California’s gender secrecy policies affect millions of families and teachers” and provides them with legal representation.
(Source：KPBS)