Rantz: Democrats’ bill lets schools withhold sexual assault, other crimes from parents for 48 hours

A new bill by House Democrats allows schools to withhold from parents whether or not their child was sexually assaulted or otherwise victimized on campus for up to 48 hours. That could mean two days before a parent can comfort their traumatized son or daughter as a school strategizes on how to frame the incident for better public relations.

House Bill 1296 overturns the voter-backed parental bill of rights initiative. It includes an emergency clause, which prevents voters from undoing this bill via another referendum. In effect, House Democrats are permanently overruling voters, the latest measure by left-wing lawmakers to weaken voter-driven initiatives.

Under the new legislation, House Democrats removed language requiring schools to provide an “immediate” notification of either a crime to the parent of the child victim or if their child was questioned by law enforcement. The new language allows schools to keep the crime private for up to 48 hours.

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State Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, attempted to change the language back to requiring “immediate” parental notification. But all Democrats voted against Couture’s amendment.

State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, argued on behalf of Democrats. She claimed that schools take the lead of law enforcement and that informing a parent that their son or daughter was a victim of a crime could somehow “impede” an investigation. How? She didn’t say, most likely because it’s a completely contrived concern.

This lawmaker fought to keep kids in the homes of drug-addicted parents, which led to a surge in overdose deaths and near-deaths of children. That she claims to stand for the well-being of children is laughable and, ultimately, deadly.

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When parents aren’t informed immediately about a crime involving their child, they lose the chance to provide the best possible advocacy for their son or daughter. Can we really trust public schools to handle sexual assault cases appropriately? Of course not.

Vancouver Public Schools was just exposed for mishandling allegations against a teacher accused of having sex with a student. How many more cover-ups will there be if Democrats continue to shield schools from accountability?

This bill isn’t about protecting children — it’s about protecting public schools from scrutiny.

The 48-hour delay gives schools time to control the narrative, potentially downplaying serious allegations before parents even know what happened. Worse, it signals to predators that the system prioritizes secrecy over justice. Parents are already losing trust in the public school system, and this latest stunt will only drive them further away.

If Democrats were truly concerned about child safety, they would empower parents — not shut them out. Instead, they’ve chosen to strip away parental rights while pretending it’s for the “greater good.”

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