State schools chief Thurmond kicked out of acrimonious meeting

Parental Notification policy could strip students of their freedom

By BRODY LEVESQUE

CHINO VALLEY, Calif. - The four hour meeting of the Chino Valley Unified School District school board at Don Lugo High School Thursday resulted in a 4-1 vote to involuntarily Out trans students to parents or guardians in a new parental notification policy.

The policy mandates that faculty and staff notify parents within three days, in writing, if their child identifies as transgender or gender non-conforming, asks to be called by a name that does not match school records or their birth certificate.

Additionally it would also require schools to “notify parents if their child seeks to change their name or pronouns or asks for access to gender-based sports, bathrooms or changing rooms that do not match their assigned gender at birth.”

Among those opposed to the implementation of the policy is the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, who personally attended and addressed the board.

Thurmond’s presence created a stir with school board President Sonja Shaw, who cut the Superintendent’s mic off after he went past the minute speaking time allotted for the public comments section.

Addressing the board, Thurmond cautioned the policy may “not only fall outside of the laws that respect privacy and safety for our students, but may put our students at risk because they may not be in homes where they can be safe.”

His words echoed a warning issued by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a letter sent to Chino Valley Unified School’s Superintendent Norman Enfield and the Board. Bonta expressed serious concern over the proposed Parental Notification policy, emphasizing the potential infringements on students’ privacy rights and educational opportunities.

“By allowing for the disclosure of a student’s gender identity without their consent, Chino Valley Unified School District s suggested Parental Notification policy would strip them of their freedom, violate their autonomy, and potentially put them in a harmful situation,” Bonta wrote “Our schools should be protecting the rights of all students, especially those who are most vulnerable, and should be safeguarding students’ rights to fully participate in all educational and extracurricular opportunities.”

As Thurmond attempted to finish his remarks, Shaw repeatedly talked over him saying “time.” At this point a number of students and others opposed to the policy began cheering which caused Shaw to reprimand those audience members saying: “Guys, be respectful.”

Then Shaw turned her attention back to the Superintendent.

“I am going to do a point of order, which I learned from a previous board president,” She continued. “Tony Thurman, I appreciate you being here, tremendously. But here’s the problem. We’re here because of people like you.”

“You’re in Sacramento, proposing things that pervert children,” Shaw shouted, as the students continued to cheer Thurmond.

“You had a chance to come and talk to me, Tony. By all means you had a chance to come talk to me. Why was it so important for you to walk with my opponent? You are the very reason why we’re in this.”

Thurmond, who had left the podium at this point, pivoted and returned to answer her accusatory remarks.

“May I have, as a point of order, as the board –” he began before she interrupted him.

“This is not your meeting,” she snapped. “You may have a seat because if I did that to you in Sacramento, you would not accept it,” she angrily shouted.

“Please sit,” she ordered.

“Can I get a point of order?” Thurmond said repeating his request.

“You’re not gonna blackmail us!” said Shaw, shouting again. “You already sent us a blackmailing letter on previous things, you will not bully us here in Chino. Please seat,” Shaw shouted, as Thurmond continued to ask to be recognized.

It was at this point she declared a short recess, but Thurmond, who had not yet left the podium found himself surrounded by Chino police officers and later he was then escorted from the room.

Addressing the situation after he was removed on his Twitter page, Thurmond noted:

“Tonight I went to a school board meeting to stand up for LGBTQ+ students who invited me to join them as they spoke out against a radical new policy that threatens their safety. When done speaking, the board president verbally attacked me an instructed the police to remove me.

“I don’t mind being thrown out of a board meeting by extremists. I can take the heat — it’s part of the job. What I can t accept is the mistreatment of vulnerable students whose privacy is being taken away.

I ask — if I am forcibly removed from a public school board meeting as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, how are everyday parents and students in Chino Valley Unified supposed to have their voices heard?

“Let me be clear: I will always stand with California students and will use every power of my office to protect them from politicians who seek to divide our communities instead of keeping our kids safe.”

The local newspaper, the Daily Bulletinreport- ed:

“

If you pass this policy, you are telling trans kids they don’t matter and you are placing a burden on teachers,” recent Chino Hills High School graduate Daniel Mora told trustees.

“Students don’t want your policies, we just want our education back,” Chino Hills High School graduate Esther Kim told the board.

Chino Teachers Association President Brenda Walker said the policy would be “divisive and unnecessary.”

There were some in support the Bulletin noted:

“

It is morally repugnant that they think parents shouldn’t be involved with their children,” Chino Valley school parent Nick Wilson said.

“We are here today because our kids are in danger,” parent Oscar Avila said. “Our kids are in danger from groomers.”

After the meeting, Thurmond told reporters: “The actions of this board are deeply troubling— and I’m not talking about being thrown out of a public meeting—I am talking about the blatant disregard for student privacy and safety. Forced outing policies harm everyone—students, parents and guardians, families, and school staff. What CVUSD has done may be in violation of state law. We will be working closely with the State Attorney General’s office to verify and enforce California law.”

“Choosing when to come out and to whom is a deeply personal decision that every LGBTQ+ young person has the right to make for themselves. This policy is taking away a student s ability to seek comfort, safety, and security in our schools and from trusted adults and peers. As educators and education leaders, we should always be putting students first and doing all we can so they can learn and thrive.”

Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from its Executive Director Tony Hoang:

“

Equality California is appalled and alarmed by the level of blatant homophobia and transphobia leveled against LGBTQ+ youth by the Chino Valley Unified School Board yesterday evening. With LGBTQ+ youth around the country under attack, the school board put their most vulnerable students in harm’s way with their dangerous vote to forcibly out trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming youth without their consent. The policy they passed last night is dangerous and in direct opposition to recommendations made by the California Department of Education.

At yesterday s meeting, the rhetoric and behavior of many of the board members, especially Board President Sonja Shaw, was dangerous and unfit for an elected official. Shaw and fellow members referred to LGBTQ+ students as being mentally ill, a harmful and wildly false statement to make in front of students attending the meeting. They also forcibly removed meeting attendees who did not agree with their extremist agenda, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Chino Valley USD students, and Equality California staff members. Shame on them.”

Also present in the audience were persons who live outside the Chino Unified District, who are not parents within the schools system according to sources who spoke to the Blade. Many were wearing T-Shirts that have been seen at other anti-LGBTQ+ protests in Southern California including recent protests at Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood, two school board meetings of the Glendale Unified School Board and then at the Temecula Valley Unified School District School Board meetings.

Kristi Hirst, an executive with ‘Our Schools USA’ a parent group that is proactively opposing anti-LGBTQ+ groups plus other extremists and a parent of children attending the district’s schools told the Blade in an email Friday:

“

Last night’s Chino Valley Unified School District Board meeting was a disgrace to the Chino Valley and a disservice to every single student who attends its schools.

The meeting was not filled with local concerned parents or community members supporting the “outing policy” – it was filled with agitators and members of hate groups who travel around Southern California harassing community members at Board meetings. Of the actual parents, community members, students, and staff who attended the meeting and spoke, the majority were not in support of this harmful policy. They were not listened to, and, in fact, they were kicked out of the meeting. The Board President even kicked a student out of the meeting.

School Board leadership have openly invited the Proud Boys, Gays Against Groomers, Lexit, and other extremist and hate groups to school board meetings. These are known and dangerous people, and they are being invited onto a school campus. These are same agitators who incited violence in North Hollywood and Glendale.

This meeting is a reflection of the extreme agenda being pushed by national groups like Moms for Liberty. Their endorsed candidate is now the Board President, and they are capitalizing on fear and victimizing our most vulnerable students. This will continue to happen throughout California and the country. This is not about parental rights or parental voice – if it was, the actual parents who attended and whose kids go to Chino Valley schools would not have been ignored.”