Judge Strikes Down Chino Valley Unified’s Parental Notification Policy

A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction Thursday against the Chino Valley Unified School District’s parental notification policy for transgender students. 

CVUSD became the first district in California to pass the controversial policy. Since then, numerous other districts have followed suit.

In granting the injunction, Judge Michael Sachs said the policy was discriminatory and likely unconstitutional because it was aimed specifically at transgender students. Sachs noted that, when discussing the policy, board members said transgender individuals suffer from “mental illness” and that pro-trans policies are leading to women’s erasure.

The judge struck provisions that require parental notification for name or pronoun changes and requests to use the bathroom of a different sex. But he left intact a third provision requiring parental notification if a student requests a change to information contained in their records.

Board President Sonja Shaw did not take the ruling as a total loss.

“I'm actually appreciative that the judge took as much time and heard the arguments as he did," she said (ABC 7). "That goes a long way, because we knew today was just going to be the beginning."  

Both sides are due back in court in February.