A federal judge has delivered a crushing blow to California’s radical anti-parent agenda by declaring unconstitutional a state law that forced teachers to hide children’s gender identity changes from their own families.
Story Highlights
- Federal Judge Roger Benitez ruled California’s AB 1955 “lying teacher” law unconstitutional on December 23, 2025
- Court established parents’ federal constitutional right to know about children’s gender identity expressions at school
- Teachers now protected from state mandates requiring them to deceive parents about their own children
- Class-wide permanent injunction blocks California’s gender secrecy policies statewide
Federal Court Strikes Down Gender Secrecy Law
U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez issued a summary judgment declaring California’s Assembly Bill 1955 unconstitutional in the case Mirabelli v. Olson. The ruling establishes that parents possess a federal constitutional right to information about their children’s gender identity expressions at school. Teachers and school staff similarly have constitutional protection to communicate truthfully with parents when students express gender incongruence. This landmark decision overturns a state law that prioritized radical gender ideology over fundamental parental rights.
A huge win for AMERICA. Huge: Judge Delivers Major Blow to CA's Anti-Parent Regime, Rules 'Lying Teacher' Law Unconstitutional https://t.co/ei9VvkD7oe
— Jenny Hendley (@jharley069) December 23, 2025
California’s Deceptive Teacher Mandate Exposed
AB 1955, passed in July 2024 under Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, required teachers to affirm students’ gender identities while keeping any changes secret from parents. The law forced educators to use different names and pronouns when communicating with parents than what students used at school, essentially mandating systematic deception. This policy violated teachers’ conscience rights and undermined the fundamental relationship between parents and children, representing government overreach at its most intrusive.
Judge Benitez’s ruling specifically prevents the state from requiring education employees to mislead parents about their child’s gender presentation through direct lying, preventing access to educational records, or using different pronouns with parents. The decision recognizes that forcing teachers to actively hide information from parents constitutes improper state action rather than neutral policy.
Precedent-Setting Victory for Constitutional Rights
The Thomas More Society, which represented plaintiffs in the case, announced this as a “historic class-action victory” that permanently blocks gender secrecy policies and restores parental rights. The ruling emphasizes that federal constitutional rights supersede any state or local laws, regulations, or policies to the contrary. This decision builds upon the Supreme Court’s June 2025 ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which established parental notification requirements in educational contexts involving religious beliefs.
The class-wide permanent injunction applies statewide to all California education system employees, creating immediate protection for both parental rights and teacher conscience rights. California schools must now cease implementing confidentiality requirements that separate parents from crucial information about their own children’s well-being and development at school.
Sources:
Court Delivers Stunning Rebuke to California: Schools Cannot Hide Gender Transitions from Parents
From the 101: What a New Supreme Court Ruling Means for Classroom Content and Parent Rights
