Judge rules schools must answer parent queries on gender identity but cannot proactively disclose

In a decision that balances state privacy protections with parental rights, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Sachs ruled that schools cannot be compelled to "out" transgender students, but must provide information when a parent specifically asks about their child's gender identity. The judgment upholds California's 2025 law prohibiting automatic parental notification while interpreting a Supreme Court order that affirms parents' constitutional right to such information.

The case arose from Chino Valley Unified School District's 2023 policy requiring notification for any student request to use pronouns differing from birth-certificate gender, a rule that Attorney General Rob Bonta successfully challenged. Sachs noted that a school’s duty is triggered only by an affirmative parental inquiry, not by the school’s own knowledge. The district has since amended the policy to notify parents of any alteration to a student's official or unofficial records, a version the judge deemed permissible because it treats all students uniformly. Both the state’s attorney general and district representatives emphasized the ruling as a near-maximum outcome under current legal constraints.