Don't Weaponize "Parental Rights" to Harm Kids

I strongly oppose SB948 (Brattin), HB2426 (Keithley), HB2417 (Loy), SB1028 (Brattin), and HJR114 (Costlow), dangerous bills that weaponize “parental rights” to dismantle public education, endanger vulnerable children, and place an impossible burden on our school systems. While cloaked in the language of liberty, the core mandates of these bills are a profound threat to child safety. By forcing schools to notify parents of any suspected harm against a student, with a dangerously narrow exception, they will force the outing of LGBTQ+ youth to unsupportive households, putting them at direct risk of abuse, homelessness, and suicide. They deliberately erode the trusted, confidential relationships between students and counselors or teachers. Additionally, the bills' sweeping declaration of a “fundamental right” to direct a child’s upbringing free from government interference is a radical legal blueprint. It could be used to challenge mandatory vaccinations, public health orders, child labor laws, and even curriculum standards that teach accurate history or science, all under the guise of parental choice. The burden this places on schools is immense and unfounded. They will be forced to navigate a minefield of potential lawsuits from parents empowered to sue for any perceived breach in the mandates, draining already scarce resources from classrooms into courtrooms. The addition of the financial ledger provision in SB948 is a cynical distraction, a performative nod to “transparency” designed to bolster the bill’s anti-public school agenda by fueling unfounded distrust in district management. This is not about empowering families; it is about codifying a dangerous ideology that prioritizes absolute parental control over a child’s right to safety, bodily autonomy, a teacher's duty of care, and a well-resourced, inclusive public education. I urge you to reject these regressive and harmful bills.