Parental Rights News
News on parental involvement in education, student privacy, and school policy. The Daily Signal includes conservative commentary and opinion.
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opinion
Politicians Will Only Be as Brave as Their Voters
With the midterm elections just weeks away, conservatives are once again asking why so many Republicans campaign as fighters only to govern like cowards. But perhaps we’re asking the wrong question. Before demanding courage from our elected officials, we should ask how much we’re willing to show ourselves. Conservatives love to complain that politicians have… -
exclusive
Illinois Parents Consider Lawsuit After School District Defends Housing Boys With Girls on Overnight Trips
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Illinois parents are considering a lawsuit after their kids’ school district stood by its policy of placing males with female high school students on overnight trips while withholding information from parents. “In light of the district failing to recognize their legal obligations to D128 families and educators, Liberty Justice Center is… -
news
Everett School District Settles After Religious Nonprofit Sues Over Violation of First Amendment Rights
A religious education nonprofit has settled its lawsuit against the Everett School District in Washington state after suing the district for violating its First Amendment rights. The Everett School District, whose board director admitted “animus” toward LifeWise Academy, will be required “to undergo religious liberty training, make changes to district policies governing religious activities,… -
news
Biden DOJ Officials Warned Garland Memo Targeting Parents Looked Like an ‘Anti-MAGA Task Force’
Biden Justice Department officials raised serious concerns about the DOJ treating concerned parents like domestic terrorists before Attorney General Merrick Garland released his memo directing investigations into school board protests in 2021, a new report from the Trump administration’s Weaponization Working Group reveals. DOJ attorneys repeatedly questioned the proposal internally. One official called the effort… -
opinion
The Real Solution to the Crisis of E-Bike and E-Motorcycle Accidents
Ed Ashman survived the Vietnam War. He returned home and spent decades serving Orange County students as a teacher. One day, as he was walking in his own neighborhood, he was struck and killed by a 14-year-old boy riding an illegal electric motorcycle while doing a wheelie. The boy’s mother had been warned multiple times… -
exclusive
Parents Who Treat Boys as Boys and Girls as Girls Are Not Abusers, New Bill Declares
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., introduced a bill Tuesday aiming to prevent child welfare agencies from treating a parent’s refusal to “affirm” a child’s stated transgender identity as child abuse. “The Left’s radical gender ideology is harming children with irreversible treatments and procedures, but in blue states, parents are being punished, and… -
analysis
These Supreme Court Cases Could Reshape Gun Rights, Elections, and Parental Rights
The Supreme Court will hear arguments this fall in cases involving the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, parental rights, and election integrity. Here are five key cases to watch. 1. Another Test for the Second Amendment On Dec. 2, justices will consider whether state and local governments can ban semiautomatic rifles such as the AR-15… -
exclusive
‘WICKED PRESUMPTION’: Social Worker Sues Over School Transgender Policy Requiring ‘a Conspiracy to Lie to Parents’
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—An Albuquerque social worker is speaking out after suing to block a school district policy, alleging that it violates her First Amendment rights by forcing her to lie to parents about their students’ gender identities. “I’m a social worker. My job is to support … emotional development, mental health, decision-making processes… -
news
Florida Is No. 1 in Academic Freedom, Says Heritage Education Report Card
Florida, for the fifth consecutive year, ranks No. 1 in overall academic freedom, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Education Freedom Report Card. The report ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on five criteria: school choice programs, teacher freedom, academic transparency, return on investment of the state’s education spending, and civics… -
news
Parents Give NC School District 15 Days to Protect Religious Freedom or Face Lawsuit
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A group of parents has given a North Carolina school district 15 days to provide religious accommodations related to a transgender teacher or face a lawsuit, according to a demand letter obtained by the Daily Signal. Thomas More Society attorneys argue that recent Supreme Court precedents require the Wake County Public… -
analysis
Parents Can’t Escape Washington’s Transgender Policies by Changing Schools, Supreme Court Brief Argues
The Supreme Court’s recent parental rights ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta is giving new momentum to a challenge against Washington state’s transgender policies, as parents urge the nation’s highest court to block laws that create an “incentive” for gender-confused children to run away. In 2023, Washington lawmakers enacted laws allowing youth shelters to refrain from… -
news
FIRST OF ITS KIND: Civil Rights Division Tests Novel Use of Education Law to Combat Gender Secrecy Policies
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division brought a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against a Kansas school district, applying decades-old laws to combat a new problem: gender secrecy policies allowing school staff to hide a student’s claimed gender identity from parents or legal guardians. “Parental rights are paramount in the operation of America’s public schools, and Kansas City,… -
exclusive
This Disability Law May Be Parents’ Secret Weapon Against Transgender Policies in School
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The law firm America First Legal released a parental rights toolkit Tuesday, explaining how a law that protects the rights of disabled children also helps parents defend their rights when schools adopt policies hiding a child’s transgender identity from parents. “Parents hold the fundamental and constitutionally-protected right to direct the upbringing… -
news
‘There’s No Portland Exception to the Constitution’: Mom Sues School Over Trans Policies
A Christian mom asked a court for an emergency order preventing Portland Public Schools from excluding her from her daughter’s school and reversing its policy on keeping gender transitions secret from parents. Portland, Oregon, native Allison Roberts sued her school district earlier this month, alleging retaliation for her free speech in opposition to the school’s… -
exclusive
Christian Mom Who Spoke Out Against Transgender Policies Blocked From Son’s Graduation: Lawsuit
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A Christian mom is suing Portland Public Schools after officials barred her from her children’s elementary school for a year in alleged retaliation for criticizing its transgender policies. “What the district said was, ‘Be quiet, or we will take your children away from you,’ essentially—at eight hours a day, nine months… -
news
Vanessa Sivadge Shares the Story Behind America’s First-Ever Detransition Clinic
In a historic $10 million settlement, Texas Children’s Hospital agreed to open the nation’s first-ever detransition clinic by October and fire five physicians after the hospital allegedly funded gender-transition procedures using Texas Medicaid. Vanessa Sivadge, the whistleblower who sounded the alarm in May 2023, explained that working as a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital was… -
news
Supreme Court Takes Up Case Challenging Laws That Treat ‘Non-Affirming Parents’ as Child Abusers
Can Washington state remove parental rights to enable runaway kids to access experimental transgender medical “treatments” without their parents’ knowledge or consent? The Supreme Court announced Monday that it would take up a case on this pivotal issue. In the case, a group of parents represented by International Partners for Ethical Care is challenging the… -
news
Ohio Family Group Celebrates Ruling on Social Media Age Verification Law
The Center for Christian Virtue is celebrating last week’s decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that allows an Ohio law on age verification and parental consent for those under 16 using social media to go into effect. Ohio’s Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act, signed into law in 2023, was supposed… -
news
Just 8 House Democrats Voted for Parental Consent Pronouns Bill
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 217–198 to require federally funded elementary and middle schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s gender on forms or sex-based accommodations. Only eight Democrats voted for the bill. Democrat Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Cleo Fields of Louisiana, Lauren Gillen… -
opinion
‘POVERTY PALACE’: How Is the SPLC Wealthier Than the YMCA and Planned Parenthood?
These are the remarks Tyler O’Neil plans to deliver before the House Judiciary Committee in his opening statement Wednesday morning. The text may change between publication now and the testimony then. Chairman [Jim] Jordan, Ranking Member [Jamie] Raskin, members of the committee, I am honored to testify before you today. I will argue that the…