By the California State PTA Education Commission and Legislative Advocacy Team
The California Attorney General (AG) serves as the state’s chief legal officer and top law enforcement official, with significant influence over issues affecting children, families, and schools throughout California. This elected position, chosen by voters statewide every four years, leads the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and shapes policies and enforcement actions that affect student rights and educational equity statewide.
The Attorney General directs the Department of Justice’s divisions, including Criminal Law, Civil Rights, and Consumer Protection, all of which address issues affecting children and schools. The Department of Justice’s work spans criminal prosecution, civil rights enforcement, data privacy protection, and legal guidance to educational institutions. Key areas impacting students, families, and schools include:
- The AG defends students’ civil rights and educational access through the Bureau of Children’s Justice (BCJ), which investigates systemic discrimination in schools. DOJ investigators examine discrimination complaints, ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws, and take legal action when school districts fail to provide equal educational opportunities. These efforts protect vulnerable students and promote inclusive learning environments.
- The Department of Justice enforces California’s student data privacy laws (KOPIPA and SOPIPA), requiring education-technology providers to protect student data. The AG has taken enforcement actions against companies that fail to implement proper data security, including securing a $3.25 million settlement against Illuminate Education for a 2021 data breach that exposed the sensitive information of over 434,000 California students.
- The DOJ provides guidance to schools on how to respond to immigration enforcement activities on campus. The Attorney General issued model policies to help schools protect immigrant students’ rights while maintaining safe learning environments, including a requirement that schools provide the AG’s “Know Your Educational Rights” guidance to families.
- The DOJ’s consumer protection role extends to educational services, investigating fraudulent educational programs, predatory student loan practices, and deceptive marketing targeting families.
- The Bureau of Children’s Justice issues guidance on discrimination in school discipline. They highlight that research shows students subject to out-of-school suspensions suffer significant adverse impacts and encourage research-based alternatives.
- In California, PTAs are organized as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and as such are subject to charitable oversight by the California Attorney General through the Registry of Charitable Trusts, requiring annual reporting and ensuring compliance with charitable solicitation laws.
Parents, guardians, and PTAs can engage with the Department of Justice by filing civil rights complaints through the Bureau of Children’s Justice, reporting suspected fraud, student data privacy breaches, and immigration enforcement activities at schools. Understanding how the Attorney General and the Department of Justice function helps families determine when state-level legal intervention may be appropriate to support their needs.
The California Attorney General serves as a crucial guardian of student rights and data privacy, ensuring that legal protections translate into real-world benefits for children and families throughout the state.
This article is part of a series on California’s state elected officials, offices, agencies, and how they impact the education of children and the lives of families throughout California. PTA/PTSAs in California are encouraged to share/reprint this information with all members as we head into the June 2026 California primary and November 2026 election.
– Read “The California State Superintendent: Shaping Education for Millions,” first published in the October 2025 PTA Connects
– Read “The California State Board of Education: Setting the Course for Student Success,” first published in the November 2025 PTA Connects
– Read “The California Department of Education: Where Policy Meets Practice,” first published in the December 2025 PTA Connects