WUNC - The majority leader of the North Carolina House has filed a bill to withhold state funding from school districts or charter schools that violate the previously passed "Parents' Bill of Rights." That law bars public schools from teaching about gender identity, sexuality or sexual orientation or from keeping school materials about those subjects.
Representative Brenden Jones (R-Robeson) announced he was filing the new bill at the end of a hearing where lawmakers pressed Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) administrators about books in their elementary school libraries.
CHCCS Superintendent Rodney Trice acknowledged that a list of books in question are in school libraries but said they aren't used for direct instruction. They included titles such as "Heather Has Two Mommies" and "Jacob's New Dress."
Republican lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee argued library books are covered under the law as supplementary materials, although the law does not explicitly mention library books.
Jones said under the bill, districts would face real consequences for violations of the Parents' Bill of Rights, like the loss of central office funding.
"When a district chooses not to follow the law, it should not expect to continue receiving taxpayer dollars without accountability," Jones said.
The bill is officially named the "Curriculum, Honesty, Compliance and Child Safety Act" and Jones made clear that acronym is also a reference to Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools.
"For everyone to remember why we have it today, it will be called the CHCCS Act," Jones said.
Committee discusses CHCCS' policies and practices
This is the second time Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has been summoned to testify in the legislature for alleged violations of the Parents' Bill of Rights.
In addition to highlighting specific library books, on Thursday the House Oversight Committee questioned the superintendent on the district's guidance to staff to affirm students' gender identities before informing parents of a student's preferred name change.
The committee also challenged an apparent attempt by one school employee to scrub a school website of specific material ahead of the district's last legislative hearing. Trice said he did not authorize those website changes.
"I think what we are witnessing is an administration that is hell bent on circumventing the law in any way they can," said Rep. Allen Chesser (R-Nash).
Democrats on the committee argued Republicans were using Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools as a "political punching bag," and said the hearing was a distraction from real problems like the underfunding of schools and prisons due to the lack of a state budget.
"I would submit to you that instead of playing this 'gotcha' game here, we're engaged in…we really could be digging in to solve these problems by passing budgets," said Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe).
What's in the new bill to amend The Parents' Bill of Rights
The new bill proposes these changes to the Parents' Bill of Rights:
Parents can bring civil lawsuits against a school for violations of the Parents' Bill of Rights, seeking damages of up to $5,000
The Department or Public Instruction or the Office of the State Auditor can investigate whether a district is complying with the Parents' Bill of Rights.
A school district or charter school found to be in violation of the Parents' Bill of Rights will have 45 days to provide evidence to the state auditor that they have "cured" the compliance issue, or face the withholding of state funds for its central office.
A new provision clarifies that a school cannot change a student's name, gender designation, or identity within school records until after first receiving consent from a parent.
Schools must provide written notice to parents before referring their child to counseling services or outside service providers.
Schools must provide written notice to parents before classroom or school-wide discussions of gender identity.
