More than 80 school board members and administrators from across Colorado are urging lawmakers to reject a controversial transgender bill, warning it would undermine parental rights, disrupt local education policy, and place schools at the center of contentious custody battles.
In a strongly worded letter led by Jason Jorgenson, Secretary of the Board of Education for Colorado Springs School District 11, school leaders said HB 25-1312 would create “significant operational and legal concerns” if passed. The legislation, known as the “Kelly Loving Act,” seeks to redefine “misgendering” or “deadnaming” — calling someone by their birth name instead of their preferred name — as forms of child abuse.
“This could strain family relationships and place schools in the challenging position of navigating sensitive custody disputes, diverting resources from our core education mission,” the letter warns.
Under the bill, courts would be allowed to consider misgendering or deadnaming as evidence in child custody proceedings, potentially penalizing parents who object to their child’s gender identity changes. The bill also blocks Colorado courts from enforcing laws from other states that restrict access to gender transition procedures for minors.
The group of educators expressed three primary concerns: erosion of parental rights, loss of local control, and increased ambiguity and burdens on compliance.
First, the letter stresses the bill’s potential to “undermine parental rights and family dynamics.” School officials are particularly alarmed by language that would compel schools to withhold a child’s gender-related decisions from their parents, effectively inserting school staff into disputes between children and guardians.
Second, educators say the legislation would “undermine local control” by imposing top-down mandates on dress codes, student records, and disciplinary policies. The law would ban gender-specific dress codes and force school districts to adopt uniform policies around students’ chosen names and pronouns, regardless of local values or logistical hurdles.
“For example, implementing chosen-name policies across diverse school systems may conflict with existing record-keeping standards or parental notification policies,” the letter explains, noting that compliance could create confusion and legal exposure for administrators.
Finally, the leaders argue that HB 25-1312 would “create operational complexities,” forcing schools to mediate politically charged issues and subjecting them to new legal threats. They also criticized how the Democrat-controlled House rushed the bill through a Sunday session earlier this month using procedural rules to limit debate.
The bill is named after Kelly Loving, a transgender-identifying man who was killed during the 2022 Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs. It passed the Colorado House on April 6 and is now under consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Among its other provisions, the bill would require all public entities that collect names to provide individuals the option of listing a “chosen name.” If that name differs from the individual’s legal name, it must then be used on all subsequent documents.
Critics of the bill say this move effectively mandates ideological compliance on gender identity across all levels of public service.
Republican lawmakers and parents’ rights groups have also spoken out against the measure. Thousands of Coloradans have submitted testimony or contacted legislators urging them to vote no, citing threats to parental authority and the potential for abuse of the legal system.
“We remain committed to ensuring safe and supportive learning environments for all,” the school leaders concluded. “But HB 25-1312, by placing schools at the center of contentious legal and social debate, poses an obstacle to that goal rather than a help to it.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hear the bill on Wednesday. Its outcome could signal whether Colorado Democrats intend to push even more aggressive gender-related legislation in the weeks ahead.
