Parenting classes required for parents of LAUSD students convicted of gang-related crimes

The Parental Accountability Act — Assembly Bill 1291 — was authored by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk.

"The time has come to hold parents accountable and give them the resources they need to help their children," Mendoza said.

"It's clear parents and guardians have serious challenges addressing the disciplinary needs of their children," Mendoza said. "Parents will be mandated to acknowledge the consequences of their children's potential involvement with gangs, before it's too late."

Mendoza introduced bill in 2007, and the law went into effect in January.

Under the law, parents or guardians of juveniles who have been involved in gang-related crimes must attend anti-gang parenting classes with specialized curricula that include face-to-face meetings with victims' families, resources and ideas on extracurricular activities, and information on identifying criminal tendencies in their children, Mendoza said.