In a recent development, Washington's new Parents' Bill of Rights, which took effect on June 6, is facing a legal challenge in a King County courtroom. The ACLU of Washington, Legal Voice, and QLaw Foundation filed a motion in May to prevent the law from taking effect, but a King County Superior Court judge denied that motion. However, the judge granted a preliminary injunction that stops the harmful parts of the law from remaining effective. The Parents' Bill of Rights grants parents the right to inspect their child's public school records, including curriculum, textbooks, academic records, and medical records. However, the law contradicts Washington state law, which makes medical records private to students once they turn 13. The preliminary injunction also strikes the time limit for releasing records, reverting back to federal law which gives schools 25 days to release records instead of ten days called for in the Parents' Bill of Rights. School districts are still required to release student records to parents upon request, with the exception of mental health and medical records. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal clarified that the initiative did not change or diminish student privacy rights protected by federal law. The next steps in the legal process will be determined in a future hearing [41e5b10e].
This legal challenge to Washington's Parents' Bill of Rights highlights the tension between parental rights and student privacy in the context of public school records. While the bill aims to grant parents greater access to their child's educational information, it clashes with existing state and federal laws that protect the privacy of students, particularly regarding medical records. The preliminary injunction provides temporary relief by suspending the parts of the law that conflict with established privacy protections. The outcome of the legal process will determine the fate of the Parents' Bill of Rights and its impact on parental rights and student privacy in Washington state [41e5b10e].