Washington teens weigh November parent-rights measure

Washington voters will decide in November whether to restore the 2024 version of the Parent’s Bill of Rights. Let’s Go Washington, a conservative political action committee backed by multimillionaire Brian Heywood, drafted that citizen initiative. Four Spokane-area teenagers discussed the proposal, including 17-year-old Evan Burnette, whose experience centered on having time to explore his identity privately at school.

Burnette began using “Evan” on schoolwork in sixth grade, three years before a relative discovered the name on an old assignment. Teachers and classmates had kept it private. He believes immediate disclosure to his family would have made it harder for him to understand himself.

The Legislature approved the original initiative in 2024, then revised it the next year after districts encountered implementation confusion. Lawmakers also sought to prevent interpretations that could make educators disclose queer or transgender students’ identities. Supporters sued and collected enough signatures for a statewide vote that could undo those revisions.

Both versions preserve parental access to attendance and academic information, allow families to decline comprehensive sex education and certain sensitive assignments, and require notification when a student is a crime victim at school. Differences include response times and access to health-related files. Current rules give districts 45 days for discipline, attendance and academic record requests; the restored version would allow 10 days. It would also guarantee parents access to medical, health and mental-health counseling records, while current law guarantees educational records and leaves some health-record access to other state laws.