Democrats Make Another Desperate Attempt to Block Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

They tried online pressure campaigns. They tried lying. They even tried false allegations of bigotry. But now, Democrats are attempting to use the court system to defeat Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, which went into effect in July.

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It appears the fight for parents’ rights in Florida is not over yet. These states seem to think they can accomplish what the Walt Disney Company could not.

According to a recent report, 16 states have filed lawsuits against the Sunshine State for implementing a law prohibiting teachers from instructing small children on sexuality and gender identity, along with requiring them to inform parents of major issues related to their children’s health. Axios reported: “Attorneys general from 16 states have opposed Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education Bill, arguing it lacks educational merit and harms students and teachers.”

The report also explains:

The plaintiffs include the District of Columbia, as well as New Jersey, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, and Oregon.

In an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs in the Equality Florida v. Florida State Board of Education, these Democratic officials argued that the legislation is a threat to both students and teachers. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison released a statement arguing that under the law, Florida’s kids, parents, and teachers “can’t speak their truth.”

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In the brief, the attorneys general referred to the law as “extreme” and unconstitutional. “In short, Florida’s extreme approach implies the absence of a legitimate pedagogical purpose, rendering its restrictions on speech and targeting of a minority highly suspect,” the brief read. “And (the 15) states’ experiences show that reasonable policies are available that include LGBTQ people, foster free speech, and accommodate parents. Florida’s turn, instead, to restricting speech and targeting a minority supplies additional evidence of the act’s unconstitutionality.”

Now that the Florida law has passed and is currently being implemented by the state’s school districts, this appears to be a last-ditch effort to overturn it – or at least tie it up in litigation so that districts can continue engaging in grooming activity and leaving parents out of the equation. But the fact of the matter is that, despite progressives’ fearmongering, the law is not going to victimize members of the LGBTQ community. In fact, the Orange County School District issued guidance to teachers that address some of the fears that some teachers have.

The reality is that the Parental Rights in Education law is designed to protect parents’ rights. It prevents educators from introducing material to small children that are not age-appropriate and ensures parents are informed about what is going on with their kids. A slew of reports have demonstrated that school districts in other states have policies specifically designed to keep parents out of the process. Schools can help a student who believes they are transgender transition to the opposite gender without their parents’ consent or knowledge.

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This is precisely what Florida’s law is designed to prevent, which is why the far-left is so upset with it. Like Terry McAuliffe and Beto O’Rourke, they believe parents should not have a say in how their children are educated, so it makes sense they would be trying so hard to block the legislation. Hopefully, their latest efforts will not succeed.

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