SAN DIEGO — A California lawmaker from San Diego is leading a bill that would protect LGBTQ+ students from being outed by teachers and school administrators.
Assemblymember Chris Ward announced he would introduce AB 1955, known as the SAFETY Act, which would strengthen existing protections against parental notification requirements that force outings of LGBTQ+ students.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Ward said the SAFETY Act would prohibit forced outing policies that have been enacted in some California school districts.
“Forced outing policies that require exposing students without their consent harm everyone. Parents, guardians, families, school staff but unnecessarily, students,” Ward said. “It puts them at risk and removes the opportunity for families to build trust and have conversations on their own terms.”
The bill
- Strengthens existing protections against forced outings of LGBTQ+ students in schools
- Prohibit and invalidate policies and regulations that are enacting forced outing policies and any that have been enacted would be invalidated
- Affirms that teachers and employees shall not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity and should not disclose that information unless there is a suspicion of harm that is defined
- Protects retaliation against teachers
WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE: Assemblymember Ward and LGBTQ Caucus unveil AB 1955, the SAFETY Act
According to Kathie Moehlig, Trans Family Support Services Executive Director, there are federal and state laws in place that protect against forced outings, but school districts nationwide have voted in favor of similar policies.
Moelig said these policies put students at risk and put educators in a position that could jeopardize their jobs.
"While most of our students are in homes that are affirming and supportive of their identities, not all of our students are and not having a safe place at school to be able to be who you are, and show up in an environment that is supportive of you can be really detrimental to our students," Moehlig said.
According to Moehlig, Rainbow Youth Alliance, a group that hosts a crisis hotline for LGBTQ students, reported over 1400 calls from Chino Valley School District students after administrators enacted a forced outing policy.
"These first outing policies cause all kinds of bullying, discrimination and harassment towards our LGBTQ students. And they no longer feel safe at school. And when you don't feel safe at school, you cannot succeed in academics," Moehlig said.
San Diego County students are already positively reacting to the news of the SAFETY Act making its way through the legislature to the governor, Moehlig said.
"The thousands of students that we serve, are so absolutely delighted that there are finally adults who are showing that they are supportive and affirming and understand that this information is theirs to hold and theirs to share on their own platforms, on their own timelines," she said. "They're going to be able to feel that sense of safety again within their school systems."
Teachers in the Escondido School District who have filed a lawsuit claim their religious rights were compromised because of their requirement to adhere to students' preferred pronouns. The lawsuit is currently making its way through the courts.
According to Moehlig, California law requires teachers and administrators to use the preferred pronouns students request.
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