NORTH CAROLINA: Josh Stein Refuses to Fight Rogue School Boards, Enforce Parents’ Bill of Rights
Thanks to efforts by Restoration News, five more North Carolina school districts have adopted policies to comply with the Parents’ Bill of Rights, but eleven remain noncompliant
Previous reporting by Restoration News revealed 17 districts that were still out of compliance with the Parents’ Bill of Rights law adopted in 2023. After reaching out to school board members in districts that failed to adopt necessary policies, five more districts have either adopted or posted policies in compliance with the Parents’ Bill of Rights. One more district has the topic on their agenda to adopt next month.
Restoration News asked Attorney General and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein if he would pursue legal action against the districts that refuse to follow the law. Stein’s office responded that the bill doesn’t authorize the Attorney General to bring enforcement actions. They suggested we contact local district attorneys.
This is a smokescreen for inaction. Stein doesn’t have a problem speaking out on other issues that he doesn’t have express authority to enforce. Why does he refuse to take a public position on this one?
Stein recently stated he doesn’t want to fight “culture wars.” He is more concerned with trans activists than parental rights. On behalf of North Carolina, Stein just signed a brief in support of a transgender case out of Idaho along with radical New York Attorney General Letitia James. The brief Stein supports advocates permitting a 7th grade student to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on his gender identity rather than biological sex. Stein doesn’t care about the privacy rights of young girls. He wants to join the radical transgender activists in wiping out protections for vulnerable females.
North Carolina School Board Members Could Face Criminal Charges and Recall
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) is one of the North Carolina districts that appears noncompliant with the Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation. Restoration News has reached out to several WCFCS school board members on multiple occasions seeking a response regarding why that have not adopted policies required under the law. The Freedom of Information Act requires a response, yet they fail to answer our emails. Another sign the school board feels they are above the law. That’s what happens when no one holds them accountable.
WSFCS advertises radical, leftist LGBT organizations on its taxpayer-funded website, including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Educator Network (GLSEN) organization. GLSEN pushes its agenda by providing free materials for leftist teachers such as “safe space kits.” These kits include signs emblazoned with the GLSEN logo advertising to students that the teacher is a “safe adult” for them to have private conversations about their gender confusion.
North Carolina state law provides for a remedy when officials such as school board members fail to enforce the law. North Carolina code 14-230 states that if a school board member refuses to “discharge any of the duties of his office . . . he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor” and “shall be punished by removal” from office. This can be enforced by the local District Attorneys. We reached out to the Forsyth County District Attorney, Jim O’Neill, to find out if he will enforce the law. We have received no response.
Out of Compliance with Parents’ Bill of Rights
The school districts that we believe are still not in full compliance with the Parents’ Bill of Rights are:
Alleghany County Schools
Ashe County Schools
Asheville City Schools
Avery County Schools
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Durham Public Schools—adopted provisions of the legislation but added language that seems to contradict the requirements in the law;
Graham County Schools
Mitchell County Schools
Stanly County Schools
Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools
Whiteville City Schools—the superintendent says the board will adopt policies by June.
North Carolina citizens in these districts should put pressure on their elected District Attorneys to require the school boards to implement all provisions of the Parents’ Bill of Rights. If not, the District Attorneys should prosecute school boards who refuse to obey the law and have them removed from office.
