Four School Districts Sue State Over Parental Rights Law

The county school boards of Orange, Indian River, Duval, and Palm Beach are suing the state government over the Parental Rights in Education law, commonly known as Don’t Say Gay, under the pretenses that it violates educators’ First Amendment rights. The suit specifically accuses the law’s writers of targeting LGBTQ+ people and trying to silence them, a common accusation since its inception. It’s not the first time the law has been taken to court over alleged unconstitutionality; a similar lawsuit is currently pending in federal court after being filed earlier this year. The law’s supporters defend the bill as aiming to bar discussion of sexual topics in K-3 grades, however its Republican sponsors rejected a proposed amendment to specify this and take the heat off of LGBTQ+ topics. The bill’s relatively unspecific nature was pointed to by critics and supporters alike as a potential catalyst for litigation, and now we’re seeing such lawsuits play out in real time months after it took effect.