HB1126:

Parental rights; right to review & obtain educational materials, etc. (The Parents Bill of Rights).

Bill Summary:

Public education; parental rights; access to certain
facilities and accommodations; instructional content; bullying. Declares
that the parent of any student enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school
in the Commonwealth has the right to (i) obtain and review any educational
material and curriculum utilized in any class or course in which the student is
enrolled; (ii) opt his child out of any class or course activity, lesson, or
reading assignment or the use of any audiovisual
material or library book to which the parent objects; (iii) easily access a
list of the title and author of each book in each classroom and each library in
the school in which the student is enrolled; (iv) receive notice of and attend
any public meeting of the school board governing the local school division in
which the student is enrolled; (v) review the annual school division budget and
expenditures; (vi) send his child to attend school in a safe environment; and
(vii) be updated by the school principal on any violent activity in the school
in which the student is enrolled. The bill requires each
school board to adopt
policies to require each student and school board employee to have access to
restrooms, locker rooms, and other changing facilities in public school
buildings that are shared only by members of the same biological sex; lodging
accommodations during school-sponsored trips that are shared only by members of
the same biological sex; and a single-user restroom, locker room, or other
changing facility in a public school building, upon request, if the school can
reasonably accommodate such a request. The bill also prohibits any school board
employee or individual who provides any school-sponsored program from teaching
or promoting to any student or school board employee the concept that (a) any
race is inherently superior or inferior; (b) any individual is racist,
privileged, oppressive, biased, or responsible for actions committed by others
of the same race or skin color by virtue of the individual's race or skin
color; (c) the United States is fundamentally racist; or (d) market-based
economics is inherently racist. The bill finally requires each
school board to implement policies and procedures to educate school board
employees about bullying and the need to create a school environment in which
all individuals are treated with dignity and respect and any incident of bullying is taken seriously and handled in a
robust manner.