Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the parental rights organization Moms for Liberty, recently criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, asserting that parents were "shut out, shut down and targeted" at school board meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her statement, shared via tweet, reflects a broader sentiment among parental advocacy groups concerning government overreach in education during the public health crisis.
Moms for Liberty was established in 2021 by Justice, a former Indian River County School Board member, and Tina Descovich, a former Brevard County School Board member. The organization quickly gained national prominence, initially focusing on opposing COVID-era mask mandates and school closures, and advocating for increased parental influence in educational decisions. Their mission centers on empowering parents to guide their children's upbringing and education.
Governor Newsom's administration faced significant legal challenges regarding its handling of school operations during the pandemic. A federal court ruled in July 2021 that Newsom's order to shut down all schools due to COVID-19 violated parents' fundamental rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling underscored the legal basis for many parents' grievances over their perceived exclusion from decisions impacting their children's education and well-being.
The parental rights movement, significantly galvanized by the pandemic, has seen increased activism at local school board levels across the country. Moms for Liberty has actively worked to elect "liberty-minded individuals" to school boards, aiming to reform public education and shift focus back to what they term "the basics." This movement frequently highlights instances where parents felt their voices were suppressed by school administrations or state mandates.
Ongoing debates in California continue to reflect these tensions, extending to issues such as parental notification policies regarding student gender identity. Governor Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 1955, which prohibits school boards from requiring staff to notify parents about a child's gender identity changes without the child's consent, drawing further criticism from parental rights advocates who argue it undermines parental authority.