Olivia Russo
Staff Writer
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1955, the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth, or SAFETY, Act this summer.
Authored by Assembly Member Chris Ward, D-San Diego, the SAFETY Act protects students and teachers against “forced outing” of LGBTQ+ students.
The new law takes effect in January of 2025.
Forced outing is when teachers inform a students’ parents if the student has spoken to them about their gender or sexual identity, which has proved to be dangerous to the kids whose parents may not be accepting of their gender or sexual identity.
“How are young people supposed to feel safe about expressing their ideas and their ideals if they feel like they’re going to be attacked or they’re going to be ridiculed for the things they are wrestling with,” Linda Bartelt, ULV adjunct professor of education, said.
The SAFETY Act is in response to some local school district policies that have actually required teachers to “out” queer students.
Last year, the Chino Valley Unified School District passed such a policy requiring teachers to report to parents if their child identifies as something other than what’s on their birth certificate.
Natalia Garcia, associate consultant for the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, spoke about the detrimental impact of this policy.
“When forced outing policies are enacted, we’ve seen an increased amount of calls to the crisis hotlines,” Garcia said. “After Chino Valley Unified School District passed their forced outing policy, nearly 1,500 of the total number of calls to the hotline were solely from those who identified as residents of Chino Valley.”
In response to this, Assembly Member Ward, a father and member of the LGBTQ+ community, drafted AB 1955.
“At its core, AB 1955, the SAFETY Act, strengthens existing protection and support for families, ensures students are safe, supported and not isolated due to any part of their identity,” Garcia said. “And (it) ensures that families are supported in having these personal conversations on their own terms,” Garcia said.
The SAFETY Act invalidates all local forced outing policies. It also protects employees from being discriminated against based on LGBTQ+ identities. And it protects teachers from being fired for providing a safe environment for students. The law will also provide families with LGBTQ+ students with resources to aid them in their acceptance.
“I just think that schools should be not only where kids get stuffed with information but where they are coming into their sense of who they are, how they can create a joyful life for themselves (and) do things in positive and healthy ways,” John Bartelt, ULV professor of education, said.
This law does not limit a student from discussing their identity with their own family, and it does not prohibit teachers from disclosing important information to parents.
Since the passage of the SAFETY Act, the Liberty Justice Center, a free speech organization that supports several right wing causes, has filed a lawsuit against this bill, to defend parental rights to their child’s information. In a Sept. 12 ruling, however, a judge upheld the SAFETY Act.
Many other states have consulted with state legislators to enact their own versions of the SAFETY Act.
“For a lot of students, the teacher is a safe place, and (forced outing) pretty much breaks that bond between a student and teacher,” said Angelica Johnson, sophomore child development major at the University.
Olivia Russo can be reached at olivia.russo@laverne.edu.
Olivia Russo is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism and a minor in criminology. She is the Editor-in-Chief for the Campus Times for Spring 2026. She has previously served as the News Editor, LV Life Editor, a photographer and a staff writer for the Campus Times, as well as a staff writer and photographer for La Verne Magazine.
