National Center for Youth Law

06/16/2026

“Parents’ rights” should describe a goal nearly every family shares — safe, supportive schools where children can learn. Too often, NCYL’s Johnathan Smith told the House Education & Workforce Committee, the phrase is used instead as a wedge: to restrict what all students can read, learn, or discuss. When that happens, it stops serving children.

Watch the full testimony: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/15/2026

Students don’t leave their rights at the school door. Young people are rights-holders too. Indeed, a healthy democracy depends on it. NCYL’s Johnathan Smith made the case before Congress.

Watch the full testimony: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/15/2026

LGBTQ+ youth deserve spaces where they feel seen, valued, and celebrated.

At NCYL, Pride Month is a joyful celebration and an important reminder of why our work matters. Every young person should have the freedom to discover themselves, learn in welcoming spaces, receive affirming care, and grow up without fear that their identity will be used against them.

06/12/2026

NCYL's Johnathan Smith testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce about protecting students' rights and building schools that work for all young people.

Watch Johnathan’s full testimony here: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/11/2026

As this Administration pressures immigrant children to sign away protections and accept deportation without legal advice, lawyers are more essential than ever to ensure children receive due process and safety.

The Dignity and Due Process for Children Act, introduced today by Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D., would ensure that children have a meaningful opportunity to consult with a lawyer before signing any document that affects their custody, placement, or immigration status.

Children navigating our immigration system are still children, and the law should treat them that way. They deserve dignity, safety, and due process. NCYL is proud to stand with Rep. Dexter on this bill.

Learn more:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) today introduced the Dignity and Due Process for Children Act, legislation establishing clear, enforceable protections for immigrant children in federal custody.

06/11/2026

NCYL’s Johnathan Smith testified that a small group of parents should not decide what every child can read, learn, or discuss. One family’s rights do not override everyone else’s.

Watch the full testimony: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/11/2026

The debate over schools is too often falsely framed as parents versus students. NCYL’s Johnathan Smith offered the House Education & Workforce Committee a different frame: supporting the rights of parents and respecting young people’s growing agency are not mutually exclusive. Done correctly, both lead to families that thrive and children prepared to succeed in school and in life.

Watch Johnathan’s full testimony here: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/11/2026

Equity isn’t about taking from one student to give to another. It’s about growing what’s possible for all of them. NCYL’s Johnathan Smith made the case before Congress.

Watch the full testimony: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/10/2026

Before he was a civil rights attorney, he was a parent. NCYL’s Johnathan Smith on why every family wants their kids to feel affirmed, supported, and safe at school.

Watch Johnathan’s full testimony here: https://youtu.be/WKmbz0kZATQ

06/10/2026

This morning, NCYL’s Johnathan Smith, a former U.S. Department of Justice civil rights attorney, testified before the Committee on Education & Workforce.

His message was clear: supporting parents and supporting students are not opposing goals. They reinforce each other.

When the concept of “parents’ rights” is distorted and used as a tool for a vocal few to dictate what every child can read, learn, or discuss, it stops serving kids — and it undermines the rights of other parents and students alike.

The consequences are measurable. Politicized conflict over schools cost districts an estimated $3.2 billion in just one school year, and more than 22,800 book bans have been tracked since 2021.

Meanwhile, the federal office responsible for protecting students from discrimination dismissed more than 90% of the complaints it received in mid-2025 without full investigation.

We can do better.

Watch Johnathan’s full testimony here:

NCYL's Johnathan Smith, Managing Director of Education & Federal St...