Schools can’t bar teachers from telling parents if children are transgender, San Diego federal judge rules

Parents have a constitutional right to be informed if their child changes their gender presentation at school, and schools can’t hide that information from parents, a San Diego federal judge ruled in a class-action lawsuit.

In a 52-page decision handed down Monday night, Judge Roger Benitez ruled that parents have a constitutional right to know if their child may be transgender and that California public schools cannot in any way prevent employees from notifying parents. In a separate order, he barred them from violating that right.

The injunction bans any public school employee from misleading parents about their child’s gender presentation at school, such as by using different pronouns or names with a parent than the student uses at school. The ruling also bars employees from calling students by names or pronouns that don’t match their legal ones if their parents object.

The state, which is defending the case, has already appealed and asked for a stay of Benitez’s decision. State attorneys said his injunction could bring significant harm to students by having schools out them without their consen...