Arizona bill would require teachers get parents’ permission to use students’ ‘preferred pronoun’

Arizona State Senator John Kavanagh, a Republican, has introduced a bill that, if approved, would prohibit teachers from referring to students as their “preferred” pronoun without a parent’s consent.

Kavanagh filed the legislation on Dec. 20, before the legislature reconvenes on Jan. 9.

“An employee or independent contractor of a school district or charter school may not knowingly address, identify or refer to a student who is under eighteen years of age by a pronoun that differs from the pronoun that aligns with the student’s biological sex unless the school district or charter school receives written permission from the student’s parent,” the proposed legislation reads.

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The bill goes on to read that a school district or charter school may not require staff or contractors to refer to a person that differs from their biological pronoun if doing so is contrary to that staff member or contractor’s religious or moral convictions.

If approved, all school districts and charter schools would be required to adopt policies implementing the changes.

According to the Arizona State Legislature website, Kavanagh is listed as the primary sponsor of the bill.

So far, two people have been listed on the site as opposed to it, including Bobby Bauders, the current Vice President of the Apache Junction Unified School District in Pinal County, Arizona.

Bauders, nor Kavanagh could not be reached for comment on the matter on Thursday.