California School Board Chooses Parents' Rights Over Liberal Agenda
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
January 28, 2004
(AgapePress) - A California-based attorney says despite the efforts of liberal activists, one school board in that state has taken a stand for parental rights.During a recent meeting the Roseville Unified School Board considered a proposal to modify school district policy requiring parental consent before a student can leave school for medical reasons. A number of teachers and board members urged changing the policy so as to allow minors to leave campus for any kind of medical treatment, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.
But after deliberating, the board decided to continue the policy of requiring parental consent. Pro-family advocates are hailing the decision as a major victory for parental rights.
According to Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, the school board's vote went as it did because the majority of the board rejected liberal activists and chose to uphold the rights of parents. The attorney points out that the decision is in keeping with the constitution and laws of California.
Brad Dacus | |
"One of our staff attorneys appeared before the board," Dacus says, "and stood up to the teacher union activists by pointing out that state laws do not require schools to release students during school hours for non-emergency medical treatment without the parents' consent."The board was also warned that the district would face a tremendous potential for liability if students were allowed to leave campus without parental awareness. But Dacus says liberal groups are not concerned with parental rights. The attorney says many liberals push policies that virtually cut the parents out of the medical decision-making process when it comes to their own school-age children's health, reproductive choices, and safety.
"That's the position supported by the California Teachers Union, and the NEA for that matter," Dacus says, "to allow students and children to go and have [treatment and] sometimes very serious surgeries -- [even] abortions, which can be fatal -- without parents being aware of it. That's why it's such an important issue to parents."
Dacus believes the issue of parents' rights will be on the minds of California voters this November. "I think parents this election year are going to be looking for candidates who are parent-friendly and are not trying to undermine the rights of families," he says.
In a recent statement Dacus saluted the majority of the members on the Roseville School Board and congratulated them for remembering that they are there to serve the parents -- not to be the "puppets" of liberal activists. The Pacific Justice Institute's president says his firm works hard to defend the rights of parents whose children may be at risk from extreme pro-abortion policies in other school districts.
