Tulsa School Board approves Parents Bill of Rights

The Tulsa Public School Board passed the 'Parents Bill of Rights' at its meeting Monday night.

The board voted 5-2 on April 7 to approve the policy it had previously rejected at the March 10 board meeting, where it had faced pushback. Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson says the policy is an accreditation requirement from the state.

What is the Parents Bill of Rights?

The Parents Bill of Rights requires the district to disclose to the student's parent or guardian any information regarding changes that could be important to the student's health, social or psychological development, and identity—including sexual orientation and gender identity.

It also allows parents to opt out of sexual health education and lessons, including questions of sex, morality, or religion.

Why is there pushback?

Some of the pushback is in regard to safety for LGBTQ+ students, as the measure requires the district to disclose identity information to families.

Others, including board member E'lena Ashley, said parents should have to opt-in for lessons regarding sex or religion, instead of opting out. State law only mandates that schools offer an opt-out.

Board President Stacey Woolley said having families opt-in would make it harder for teachers.

"Many things could be considered controversial, and it would be almost impossible for our teachers to teach if we had to opt-in to anything that might be controversial. We still live in places where people believe the earth is flat, so are we going to get permission to have a globe in the classroom?"

When does the Parents Bill of Rights go into effect?

The Parents' Bill of Rights is set to go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year.