Senators Wiener Condemns Trump’s Move To Cut California School Funding to Punish Forced Outing Policies

SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, the Trump Administration announced an investigation into California for prohibiting school districts from requiring that teachers forcibly out LGBTQ kids who express their authentic identity at school. The investigation is the first step toward stripping California’s school funding from the federal Department of Education—which the Trump Administration has pledged to destroy—as punishment for protecting LGBTQ youth.

Forcibly outing children and teenagers against their will traumatizes them and puts them in danger of harassment, abuse, violence, and homelessness at home if their families are hostile to their identities. California law does not prevent teachers from discussing student’s identities with parents, but it prevents school districts from imposing heavy-handed requirements forcing teachers to do so in all cases — no matter the danger to the child — as over a dozen California school districts did in recent years.

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement in response:

“Trump’s cruelty toward LGBTQ kids is designed to distract from his attacks on social security and health care and the unbelievable disgrace of his senior defense officials’ intelligence breach earlier this week. Every minute Trump spends on political red meat for his base instead of investigating and fixing his own staff’s breach of security makes Americans less safe.

“Trying to cut funding for schools who refuse to put kids at risk is both illegal and despicable. Schools should be a safe environment for all young people. Sometimes teachers must bring conversations about a student’s identities to their parents, but forcing that teacher to do so even when doing so puts a child at risk is reckless. That’s why California law protects teachers’ ability to make judgment calls while preventing extreme right wing school boards from putting LGBTQ youth’s safety at risk, as many have done in recent years.

“If Trump succeeds, kids will be harmed, and some will die. California will use every tool at our disposal to defend our LGBTQ youth.”

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