A group of Washington parents, educators, and school board members filed a lawsuit Thursday in Thurston County Superior Court, challenging House Bill 1296 as unconstitutional. The plaintiffs argue the law unlawfully rewrites key provisions of Initiative 2081—the Parents’ Bill of Rights—passed by voters in 2024.
Initiative 2081 had required public schools to notify parents about major events involving their children, including the provision of medical services, removal from campus, and access to school records. It emphasized transparency and parental authority in education. HB 1296, passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature and signed by Governor Bob Ferguson in May 2025, modifies and narrows those requirements.
Critics of HB 1296 argue that it reduces parental access to student records, loosens notification standards for school-based counseling and medical services, and limits curriculum transparency. Supporters of the bill claim it balances parental rights with student privacy and safety, particularly for vulnerable students.
The lawsuit, filed by the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF), seeks a declaratory judgment striking down the law. The group contends HB 1296 violates several constitutional protections, including parents’ rights to direct the upbringing of their children, religious liberty, and access to education records under federal law. The plaintiffs also argue the bill violates Washington’s “single subject” rule for legislation.
Gabe Galbraith, a school board member and father of three, said in a statement, “We’re being told not to share information that parents have a right to know. That’s not education — that’s state interference in the family.”
Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), who sponsored HB 1296, defended the law, saying it ensures students can be “seen and acknowledged in their full selves” and access a school environment “without discrimination.”
The case highlights the broader national debate over parental rights in public education and the extent to which state governments can override those rights in pursuit of broader social and policy goals.
