Horne surprised by veto of bill to protect parental rights, student safety

Bill would address pronoun usage, protect space for girls

PHOENIX – State schools’ chief Tom Horne says he is surprised at the governor’s veto of legislation that would have required schools to inform parents when a child requests to use a pronoun other than their biological sex and protect girls from biological boys being in their restrooms, showers and locker rooms on campus.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. John Kavanaugh (R) - Fountain Hills, would have prohibited a public school employee from knowingly addressing a minor student by a pronoun different from the child’s biological sex or a first name not listed on school records without first getting permission from the parents. The measure would also have limited access to restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and hotel rooms on overnight trips to students of the same biological sex.

Horne said, “It’s surprising to me that the governor did not recognize the legislation’s value in promoting common sense, girls’ privacy, safety, and the rights of parents to be fully informed about what their children are doing while at school or related activities. Public schools are entrusted to educate children, not to interfere with the rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit. This veto is contrary to overwhelming public support for protecting girls and parental rights.”

He added, “The vetoed legislation would affirm those rights and would have codified protection for girls who deserve to have private spaces such as restrooms and locker rooms where they are not exposed to biological males. In the past several years parents have made it clear they do not want schools to override their role as parents, and they have also made it clear that girls have the right to privacy without the presence of biological boys in places like locker rooms and restrooms.”

Under the Arizona Parent’s Bill of Rights (A.R.S. 1-602) schools are prohibited from keeping information from parents.