Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office is “putting our money where our mouth is” in announcing a state-funded legal team dedicated to enforcing parents-rights laws.
Addressing a crowd of fourth graders at Jacksonville Classical Academy Tuesday, Uthmeier said his office is “making sure that we’re walking the walk and setting examples” in enforcing laws related to gender transition, library materials, school surveys, and other topics that have dominated legislative, judicial, and executive conversations in recent years.
Uthmeier announced the creation of the Office of Parental Rights, a “team of litigators focused on fighting the fights that parents bring to us.”
“It’s frustrating that we do have to go so far as to enshrine in law a lot of these rights that are indeed God-given,” Uthmeier said. “But at the end of the day, government is weak. Government cannot be trusted, and we want to protect parents everywhere we can.”
Uthmeier was flanked by Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, Patti Sullivan from Parental Rights Florida, Kim Hermann from Southeastern Legal Foundation, and January Littlejohn, a Leon County parent who claims a school aided her child’s gender transition, although the school has prevailed in court proceedings so far.
Uthmeier said his office will coordinate with the Department of Education to address complaints to be handled by the Office of Parental Rights.
“I understand you guys probably don’t fully appreciate the importance of the announcement here today, but you will grow up fast,” Uthmeier said, addressing the fourth-graders. “You will have your own kids, your own families. It will happen much faster than you think. And I assure you, you will appreciate what’s being done here today.”
Uthmeier said Florida has been a “shining city on a hill, an example for the rest of the country to look to when it comes to enshrining parental rights.”
Lawmakers have focused heavily on enabling parents to remove books from school libraries they may consider to be “pornographic,” require parental consent to take surveys related to mental health concerns and sexual behavior, and parental notifications relating to a student’s education.
Litigation for some of the laws has become costly. For example, in Escambia County, as of December, the school district had spent more than $640,000 to defend book-removal policies, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
“We’re certainly not looking to run up costs, but when it comes to fighting the right fights, I’ll spend every dollar we have,” Uthmeier said.
Last week, a bill (HB 1505) to require parental consent for any survey offered to a child, including about mental health, politics, and sexual health, passed the House on a party-line vote. It would expand the state’s “Parental Bill of Rights” and includes mandatory parental consent for STI treatment.
Similar legislation is awaiting debate on the Senate floor.
Uthmeier has been in office less that three months. He was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, filling the vacancy created by former AG Ashley Moody’s appointment by DeSantis to the U.S. Senate.
–Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
Deborah Coffey says
What stupidity! It’s even very bad Fascism. The Republican Party will be finished off soon. Hooray!
A very concerned person with a precious child in our public school system says
PLEASE! Uthmeier- fight the good fight and spend every dollar we have to stop gun violence in our schools. If I, as a taxpayer, have to pay for a team of litigators I vote to pay for gun sensing equipment in every school, as well as resource officers. It is offensive that you would indoctrinate 4th graders with your agenda when you didn’t have all the childrens’ parents approval to give this talk? Seems one sided for championing parents rights. I vote for the safety of my child’s life- which doesn’t seem to be taken very seriously.
c says
“Addressing a crowd of fourth graders at Jacksonville Classical Academy Tuesday,”
But of course, it’s not grooming when you’re the gubmint :)
Just Saying says
Florida appears to be one of the most litigious states in the USA. History will show that the Florida Attorney General will sue anyone for any reason, unless they get a $25k donation where they will quickly drop from any class action suits. Most of the lawsuits appear to be political in nature, just to garner votes from select groups, especially donor groups. What’s the old saying, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Would not be so bad, except they are frequently wasting taxpayer money for many frivolous lawsuits.
Isn’t the quote in this story line telling? “We’re certainly not looking to run up costs, but when it comes to fighting the right fights, I’ll spend every dollar we have,” Uthmeier said.” What he means is that he will spend every dollar that WE have on whatever fight will get them the most political capital/votes.
The asshats in Tallahassee seem to forget it is taxpayer’s hard earned money they are spending/wasting and not this big fund of free money that fell from the sky to spend as they please.
Kennan says
Office of parental rights? Who does that represent? Parents rights have never been in fringed on, especially in a public school system. This is quite simply fascist. Fear mongering that represents only the most ultra conservative, religious evangelical group of people that in no way represents what America wants.
This isn’t about parents rights or safety of students. This is about controlling the narrative. This is political. More political than books or inclusion. This is about fear of social exposure. Exposure that has never hurt kids or parents. It may be outside your understanding, but never ever a threat. Censorship in sheep’s clothing.
Sherry says
Can the state government in Florida become even more “Stupid”??? I’m afraid so. . . Sorry! What a complete waste of taxpayers’ hard earned $$$$. . . all to fight Maga culture wars!!! Maga, are you sick of winning the lunatics’ BS agenda yet???
Pogo says
@Sherry
Can?
You know the answer: there is no bottom, and the edge of the galaxy is just the starting line for these shitheads.
Sherry says
@ Pogo. . . Yeah I do, unfortunately. . . in the land of “Complete Lunacy and Moral Bankruptcy” there are no boundaries . . .
Laurel says
So, whatever happened to Republican “fiscal responsibility”?
And for that matter, what happened to the Republican cry of “Jobs, jobs, jobs”?
Oh, and “party of law and order.”
Did I mention “government does not belong in our bedrooms”?
…and…
Yeah, go ahead and tell me.