Hearing on Mastriano parental rights bill invigorates supporters, riles foes

Parents from various corners of the state came to the Pennsylvania Capitol on Tuesday to express concerns about what they consider governmental overreach that is stomping on their parental rights when it comes to their child’s upbringing.

They cited school districts’ universal mask mandates, allowing books with sexually explicit materials in libraries, and permitting boys who identify as girls to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms among other examples that they say made them feel powerless over their kids’ education.

“School administrators all over the country, including Pennsylvania, have decided parents should be excluded from vital conversations with regard to their child’s education and well-being,” said Bucks County parent Megan Brock during testimony to the Senate State Government Committee.

The hearing, though intended to be focused on a bill to create a parental bill of rights offered by Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, had some saying that it became more of a campaign event for Mastriano, the Republican gubernatorial nominee.

Democratic Sen. Sharif Street of Philadelphia called the one-sided hearing a “political show” for the GOP nominee to grandstand before a crowded room of his supporters, some of whom wore Mastriano campaign buttons on their shirts. Throughout the hearing, several testifiers took shots at Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro, who in his role as state attorney general defended policies that they opposed.

Street criticized the Republicans on the committee for not allowing his caucus to offer up testifiers who would offer an opposing view although committee Chairman Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill County, maintained that was not the case.

Mastriano said former state health secretary and now U.S. assistant secretary of health Rachel Levine was invited to testify since she was instrumental in some of the policy decisions that interfered with parental rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. She declined.

Mastriano’s legislation would make it clear that no governmental body can infringe on the fundamental rights of a parent to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their child without a compelling reason. He defended his bill as a measure that would “restore common sense” in public schools.

“What’s happened to us where bureaucrats get to decide how your kids identify?” Mastriano said. “Pronoun games have no place in schools. This has to end. Madness has come in. Parents have the last say, period.”

Fifteen states have such laws on the books, including Florida, Texas and Georgia.

Sharon Ward, senior policy adviser for the Education Law Center, was critical of the hearing calling it partisan and playing politics with schoolchildren. She said it painted a false narrative that parents have no say in their children’s education.

“Parents do have rights with respect to curriculum. They’re able to review it. They’re able to opt students out of lessons or courses,” Ward said.

What’s more, she said it was not pointed out that public schools must be welcoming to all students.

“They need to enforce the rights that students are given to be free from discrimination under the law and that’s what schools are doing,” she said. “That includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Among the eight testifiers, compelling testimony came from a panel of mothers who spoke passionately about their concerns.

Brock said she and fellow parent Jamie Walker have been involved in 10 lawsuits as a result of their advocacy for the rights of children and parents. That includes a fight over records regarding Central Bucks School District’s universal mask mandate that was imposed despite the objections of a local health director.

“It should not be this hard. It should not take this much effort for parents to exercise the fundamental rights of being their child’s advocate, protector, counselor and provider,” Brock said.

Maria Ault, mother of two teen-age daughters in Lehigh County, said the COVID-19 lockdown that had students learning in virtual classrooms gave parents a window into what was happening in schools.

“We parents heard with our own ears our children being indoctrinated with racial division. We saw the incorporation of gender ideology that do not align with scientific facts and that were against absolute truth by lying to the students that a boy can be a girl and a girl can be a boy,” she said.

Among a myriad of concerns she raised, Ault faulted a district in her county that allows biological males to access female bathrooms. “What about the need for privacy?” she said, adding that could trigger post-traumatic stress disorder in girls who have been assaulted.

Another school she cited issued a directive requiring teachers to conceal information from parents about the gender identity of their children and to take direction from the student as to what name to use when talking to parents.

“It’s clear to parents that our schools are in the grips of radical sexual and gender ideology and the parents are being excluded from important matters concerning their own children,” Ault said. “This is an egregious interference with the rights of parents and we will continue to fight.”

Ward said she believes parents would be hard-pressed to find a teacher or counselor or coach who doesn’t encourage a student to talk to their parents about an issue they are having.

“This was a deliberate attempt to inflame parents and make them afraid in order to promote a political agenda, which is unfortunate,” Ward said. “This is going to just drive more teachers from the field.”

In her testimony, parent Fenicia Redman of Chester County discussed a federal lawsuit she filed to “remove graphic sexually explicit material from my minor son’s public school library” after 10 appeals to local and state officials failed to get it removed.

Redman came armed with copies of the books in her son’s high school library she found offensive. She held up images in them for senators to see and read an excerpt from one until Argall cut her off, saying, “We understand.”

Redman replied, “Where is Children and Youth?”

She said her federal lawsuit filed against Gov. Tom Wolf, Shapiro, and several others drew a motion on Sept. 15 seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, saying among other reasons that they have immunity and she can’t defend her son because she doesn’t have a lawyer.

“If you’re watching Wolf, Shapiro and company, you have lawyers paid by my taxpayer dollars. I don’t have a lawyer yet but the Lion of Judah, my God, knows who they are and we will see,” Redman said, winning applause from those in attendance.

Despite the picture the testifiers presented at the hearing, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Education Association defended public school educators, saying they work closely with parents to address students’ needs, provide mental health supports and ensure student safety.

Spokesman Chris Lilienthal further faulted Mastriano for politicizing “something that simply isn’t issue to the detriment of Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students. His real goal is to trash hardworking educators and support professionals and undermine public education.”

Ward maintained the views presented at the hearing represent a minority of parents.

She said there were parents supportive of districts’ decision-making related to COVID-19 mitigation measures just as there were ones on the opposite side. On that issue, she said, “ultimately, the protection of public health and trying to keep people alive won out.”

Ward added: “The other thing that became really clear today is it seems the parents just don’t really want any discussion of LGBTQ students or themes in schools and that is a danger that’s harmful – and it’s also illegal.”

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

More:

Doug Mastriano and friends return to the launching pad of a political crusade, but get little fresh juice

Rebbie Mastriano emerges as a forceful figure in husband’s campaign

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