Chino Valley Unified School District files OCR complaint against California for mandating districts to adopt policies to hide gender identity of students from parents

On April 11, 2025, Chino Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education sent a letter filing a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) “to bring urgent attention to ongoing violations of parental rights and student protections committed by Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Education (CDE), under the leadership of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.” The Board of Education explains that California has passed laws that “compel school districts to withhold critical information from parents regarding their own children, particularly when it comes to sensitive issues like gender identity and mental health.”

The Board of Education further explains when the district adopted a parental notification policy, it was sued by the State of California. The Board states that Newsom then “signed into law AB 1955, a dangerous measure that codifies secrecy and strips parents of their God-given rights.” Despite this legal battle with the state, the district has moved forward with a policy that still allows parents to be notified. The state and Thurmond have mandated the district to revise its policies to follow the state’s gender ideology mandates, which include “prioritizing gender identity over biological sex and requiring policies that actively exclude parents from critical decisions regarding their children’s well-being.”

The Board of Education explains that the district receives “millions in federal funding annually.” However, now the district is in a tough situation due to California contradicting federal law. The Board is asking for assurance from the federal government that funding will continue and for an investigation into California’s policies on gender identity.