This month, New Mexico House Republicans released a notification form for parents and guardians to fill out to require notification before their child accesses medical and behavioral health services or some instructional materials. The move came after the passage of recent legislation, including H.B. 7 and S.B. 397.
The form gives multiple fields for notification, including “any health care services, referral for services, class, lesson, instruction, curriculum, assembly, guest speaker, activity, assignment, library material, online material, club, group, or association concerning transgender ideology, gender affirming care or gender identity,” “abortion,” “contraception and other family planning,” “primary health care,” and “mental or psychiatric care.”
However, the Democrats are now trying to gaslight parents, claiming the form is not binding while asserting they care about parental-teacher collaboration.
Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Department of Health Secretary (NMDOH) Patrick Allen and Department of Education (PED) Secretary Arsenio Romero wrote a July 14 letter to school officials charging, “The notification and consent school form offered to parents by the New Mexico House Republicans does not have any legal effect.”
According to a Santa Fe New Mexican report, parents have cause for concern about their child being exposed to abortion and gender-affirming care at schools.
It read, “But state law allows for a few circumstances in which youth can consent to medical care on their own. Teens 14 and older, for instance, can consent to taking psychotropic medications or engaging in certain forms of therapy and counseling. The Children’s Code requires clinicians in such cases to promote the ‘healthy involvement of a child’s legal custodians and family members in developing and implementing the child’s treatment plan.’ New Mexico has no laws requiring parental consent for minors to receive abortions.”
Democrats’ House Whip Reena Szczepanski (D-Santa Fe) gaslit concerned parents, telling the outlet the form is a “divisive tactic for political gain” to bring “national political lightning rod issues” to New Mexico, where she claims such concerns do not exist — despite the same report admitting underage children can access gender-affirming care and abortions without parental consent due to these new laws.
“I’m a mom with school-aged children, and one thing I have learned over the years is that the most important thing to help a child succeed is great communication between school, parents, teachers — everyone being involved in education is a great thing,” Szczepanski continued.
It is unclear how Szczepanski claims to want “great communication” between stakeholders yet opposes measures to ensure such communication happens at schools between parents/guardians and educators.
A July 19, 2023 letter signed by 23 of the 25 New Mexico House Republicans asked Secretaries Allen and Romero why they sent the July 14 letter, which caused further alarm and confusion among schools and parents.
One question asked by the GOP lawmakers included, “Are you advising school leaders to reject, or ignore, the explicit request by parents to be informed via the parental notification/consent form?”
Neither Cabinet secretary has yet given a response to the House Republicans’ questions, but it appears the two are hoping to push parents into confusion about what rights they have over their children’s well-being.
Neither Cabinet secretary has yet given a response to the House Republicans’ questions, but it appears the two are hoping to push parents into confusion about what rights they have over their children’s well-being.
Parents should have ALL rights about their children period. We send them to school to be educated and nothing else.
I have so much contempt for these people, you are education teachers, not their mom and dad! I cannot imagine God’s anger at this. Also another attempt at Communism. Brainwashing the little ones.
X1million! These marxist teachers have no respect for families at all. They only wish to brainwash our children into marxist ideology.
All rights! 100% agree.
Does the form have legal standing? If a parent uses this form and the school fails to comply, what are the consequences? At this point I feel like the form is a mockery to parents who truly want control over what their kids are being fed in schools. Especially if a parent has a need to go to court and the courts rule in favor of the state and not the parent. This then sets a precedent that can be used against parents in the future. This form is no different than a vax exemption. We should not have to fill out or be exempt from something we don’t and didn’t consent too in the first place. I didn’t vote for dems, and damn sure don’t/didn’t agree to their made up nonsense rules and I’m not playing by them either. It only reinforces their delusional brains into thinking they have any control of me or my children.
We need better.
T.B.,
Here’s the issue, unless a child has been harmed and the parents warned the school (and by extension the school district/system & PED & state) that they didn’t want them to interfere with the raising of their children, and yet the system went ahead and caused this harm, there is nothing of substance to bring up in court.
Efforts to rescind the laws that were passed this spring taking away parental rights may fail. This means our only means is through the courts. And yes it may fail at the initial level, and then the case will be appealed to the next level, and then the next level, and the next. Lawfare can work on our side as well, not just for far-left causes.
And the higher up the chain it goes the more exposure of this evil will result. By the time it is over the Democrats’ schemes would be laid wide open and they will regret the whirlwind that they have reaped.
If they are claiming that the form has no legal standing, then I would send them an itemized bill for my child’s expenses. Everything from food and clothing to medical and housing. Because if parents don’t have the right to decide for their children, then those children are essentially wards of the state….not a parent’s financial responsibility.
Today, if you want control over your kids, remove them from government run schools. Hard to do? YES !! But parents who do not agree with the perverted way our teachers, administrators and progressive politicians are turning our children against us, it may be the only way. Educate them at home. Get with other parents and share daycare. Basically, tell the government to “shove it”. If not now. when?
There are teachers who were mandated out of jobs in this state, or like in my area, who are sick of APS’s liberal propaganda being placed before teaching the 3Rs. There are networks of them, “homeschooling” small groups of kids in private homes. They aren’t that hard to find if you actively look for homeschooling resources through patriot (NMFA is one) resources.
Lujan is out stupiding Biden and Harris both! She needs out and a new legitature without alcohol and partying instead of drinking !!!!!!!Plus needing a brain
Isn’t this ridiculous that everyone is talking about the validity of a form and not the actions of the pedophiles that are sexualizing children in the schools?
Wake up.
You are allowing them to control the narrative.
It’s the secret indoctrination of children under the guise of “medical care” that is objectionable- whether a person should have the “right to opt out” is smoke and mirrors.
We must have election integrity if we hope to vote our way out of this… without election integrity, -no one- has a voice.
This is the Marxist playbook for how the government can raise our children.
It used to be where the school was issuing out condoms, now it’s just a pass to the in house abortion clinics under this administration!