By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice
Board members say the bill risks punishing parents, stripping local authority, and forcing schools into the middle of contentious custody battles
More than 70 school board members and education leaders have signed a letter urging lawmakers to reject HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act.
Jason Jorgenson, secretary of the District 11 Board of Education and a lead organizer of the opposition letter, said HB25-1312 “risks encouraging youth to pursue a path of gender transition without appropriate parental involvement.”
Andrea Haitz, president of the District 51 Board of Education, warned that the bill “risks placing schools in an even more precarious legal position, especially when parents disagree on matters like gender identity or preferred names.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear the bill today at 1:30 p.m. (livestream details below). The measure would redefine custody laws and school policy by labeling misgendering and deadnaming as coercive control, banning gender-specific dress codes and requiring inclusive name-use policies.
“We remain committed to ensuring safe and supportive learning environments for all. We believe HB 25-1312, by placing schools at the center of contentious legal and social debates, poses an obstacle to that goal rather than a help to it,” the letter states.
Legal risks and family consequences
One of the most contentious elements of the bill, Section 2, has drawn widespread criticism – nationwide. It adds deadnaming and misgendering to the list of coercive behaviors a court may consider when allocating parental responsibilities.
The text defines coercive control as a pattern of threatening, humiliating or intimidating actions and includes “deadnaming or misgendering… the individual or the individual’s child” as forms of such abuse.
As the letter explains, the risk isn’t theoretical. “The bill risks penalizing parents for their speech or beliefs about their child’s gender identity,” the letter argues.
Parental rights advocate Erin Lee warned the bill would label parents like her as abusers. “This bill would have forced us to affirm something that wasn’t true for our daughters,” she wrote. “We would have been labeled abusers.”
Sections 4 through 6 would prohibit gender-specific dress codes and require inclusive chosen-name policies. The letter says these mandates undermine local control and community values.
RMV founder Heidi Ganahl described HB25-1312 as the latest step in a years-long pattern of state control expanding to impose activist-driven policies. “What started in 2018… has evolved into Sex Camps and an alarming affront to parental rights,” she wrote.
Section 7 requires schools to use chosen names on all public forms, potentially conflicting with record-keeping and parental notification policies. The letter warns this could confuse staff and create legal risk.
The bill also defines misgendering and deadnaming as discriminatory practices under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, raising concerns about compelled speech.
Michael Hancock called it “a modern blasphemy code dressed in the garments of progressivism.”
More than 20 pastors signed a joint statement saying the bill threatens faith-based families. “We cannot allow the state to threaten Christian parents with losing their children simply for following biblical convictions,” their letter stated.
School leaders speak out
In a statement to RMV, D11 Board Secretary Jorgenson warned that in custody cases, the bill could give preference to the affirming parent, regardless of broader parenting quality. “The result could be that the ‘affirming’ parent is granted priority—not necessarily based on the child’s overall well-being.”
He added that families fear losing influence in their children’s lives, while educators worry about being forced to act against parents who simply disagree.
Jorgenson shared, “Charter schools and local districts are concerned about further erosion of local control, with more top-down mandates. Many fear that school counselors could be placed in the middle—pressured to act against parents who simply disagree with their child’s desire to transition.”
He also noted that the bill would require updates to school safety plans and policy ACA, building on last year’s HB 1039. “To many of us, this feels like part of a broader and strategic shift that centralizes decision-making in the state and diminishes the authority of local school districts and families.”
D51 Board President Haitz shared in a statement with RMV that schools are already drawn into custody battles – and this bill would deepen that entanglement. “When combined with last year’s non-legal name change law, this bill could create confusion for staff and potentially infringe on speech or religious freedom.”
She said many families are raising concerns about dress codes, name changes and transparency. “Parents know their children best and are best equipped to guide them through questions of identity.” Haitz added, “Schools should support – not replace – parental guidance.”
Haitz pointed to recent studies, including the Cass Review in the UK, which questioned the mental health benefits of gender-affirming treatments. “It found no conclusive evidence that gender-affirming treatments actually improve mental health for children and adolescents.”
“The review emphasized the need for full mental health evaluations before medical interventions.” She shared, “It warned against rushing kids into life-altering decisions without robust scientific backing.”
“These treatments are being offered with good intentions,” Haitz said. “But that doesn’t mean the outcomes always match the goal.”
“We need to make decisions based on strong evidence – not ideology.”
“My concern with HB25-1312 is that it sidelines parents at a critical moment in their child’s development.”
“While the bill aims to protect students, we can’t let that protection come at the expense of parental rights.” Haitz continued, “That kind of exclusion leads to more conflict and less trust.”
“We should be striving for collaboration among parents, educators and medical professionals. Haitz asserted, “That’s how you truly support a child.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee will discuss HB25-1312 at 1:30pm on April 30 and the livestream can be viewed here: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00327/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20250430/-1/17390#handoutFile_
Coloradans can track the bill’s progress at leg.colorado.gov or sign up to testify at https://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2025A/commsumm.nsf/NewSignIn.xsp.
Editor’s note: Andrea Haitz shared a statement with RMV in her personal capacity, noting that her views do not necessarily represent those of District 51.