A school district, a nurse, and civil rights and youth services organizations sued Thursday to block a new Washington state parental rights law that critics describe as a “forced outing” measure. A conservative megadonor backed the law, which is set to take effect in June. The Democratic-led Legislature overwhelmingly approved it, with progressive lawmakers wanting to keep it off the fall ballot while calculating that courts would likely block it.
Known as Initiative 2081, the law requires schools to notify parents in advance of medical services offered to their child, except in emergencies, and of medical treatment arranged by the school resulting in follow-up care beyond normal hours. It grants parents the right to review their child’s medical and counseling records and expands cases where parents can opt their child out of sex education. That could jeopardize students who go to school clinics seeking access to birth control, referrals for reproductive services, counseling related to their gender identity or sexual orientation, or treatment or support for or domestic violence without their parents knowing, critics say.
The fight is the latest iteration of a long-running, nationwide battle over how much say parents have in the schooling of their children. Many parents have joined a conservative movement pushing states to give them more oversight of schools, including over library books and course material, transgender students’ use of school bathrooms, and the instru.
