On Wednesday, Oct. 18, the Capistrano Unified School District board members voted 4-2 against the Parental Notification Policy.
The policy ostensibly aimed to protect students by asserting that mental health and medical needs should be disclosed to parents; it argued that parents have the ultimate right to decide necessary medical attention, emphasizing that no “secrets” should be kept between students and parents. However, critics argue that it intrudes on students’ privacy, potentially causing more harm than prevention.
Amira Salazar (12), president of Aliso Niguel High School’s Gay Straight Alliance Club and a student leader opposing the Parental Notification Policy, stated, “The Parent Notification Policy introduced at our school district was worded the same as the policy passed in Chino Hills, explicitly stating that gender nonconformity is a mental health illness. This is a clear intent to bully transgender kids.”
Salazar noted that the Chino Hills policy, passed before being introduced to Capistrano Unified School District, explicitly identified gender nonconformity as a mental illness. However, when brought to CUSD, the context was altered to remove that specific part while keeping the rest unchanged.
The policy’s opponents argue that it could harm transgender teens across California by potentially exposing them to unsafe families that do not accept queerness or gender nonconformity. This could lead to increased rates of teen suicides, homelessness, and mental illnesses due to pressures from unaccepting families and communities.
Those fighting against the policy suggest that its passage would signify the beginning of rejection for the LGBTQ+ community and an infringement on students’ privacy rights.
During the official district board meeting, students across CUSD individually addressed the board members, sharing personal experiences.
Sushant Mayreddy (12) said, “Many family members and friends of mine would be deeply affected by the Parent Notification Policy. I am glad I spoke at the district meeting as it was a way for me to help my closest friends.”
For students, the issue revolves around protecting and maintaining a safe school environment for everyone, as this policy could undermine schools as safe havens. On Oct. 18, to students’ relief, the Parent Notification Policy was not passed and was voted against.
“I was in the building when they announced the decision, and I was so relieved… We were so nervous because the decision took forever to make, but in the end, there were lots of tears and we all hugged… It was very emotional,” said Amira Salazar (12).
The Capistrano Unified School District became the first school district in all of Orange County to reject the Parent Notification Policy, marking the beginning of more similar decisions. Their victory gained national attention, with news outlets such as The New York Times covering the triumph.
Students of Aliso Niguel and CUSD plan to continue advocating for what they believe will benefit the student body the most and will continue rallying for their rights in the future.
