In a contentious school board meeting held in Chino Valley, California, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, faced an unexpected ejection after attempting to intervene in a discussion regarding parental notification for gender transitions. The board voted 4-1 to approve a new policy requiring schools in the district to notify parents or guardians when a child expresses a desire to change their gender. However, critics argue that this policy may unintentionally “out” transgender students to their parents.
The policy, introduced in June, mandates schools to inform parents in writing within three days if their child identifies as transgender, exhibits signs of violence or talks about suicide. Moreover, parents will be notified if their child seeks a name or pronoun change or requests access to gender-based sports, bathrooms, or changing rooms that do not align with their assigned gender at birth.
Before Thurmond’s removal from the meeting, he voiced concerns, stating that the policy might breach privacy laws and pose potential risks to the students. Unfortunately, due to exceeding his allotted one-minute speaking time, Board President Sonja Shaw ordered his ejection.
Responding via Twitter, Thurmond stressed that the policy posed a threat to students’ “safety” and referred to the parents advocating for the policy as “extremists.”
Thurmond was not alone in his intervention; State Attorney General Rob Bonta also wrote to the board expressing objections to the parental notification requirement. Bonta warned of potential infringements on students’ privacy rights and educational opportunities resulting from the policy.
Contrary to state officials’ concerns, parents present at the meeting strongly disagreed with their stance. They argued that the state was encroaching on their rights as parents to guide their own children’s decisions.
A recent Rasmussen poll indicated that 84% of California voters supported laws mandating parental notification about gender transitions by children at school. Despite this, the state’s elected Democrats have stood in opposition to the idea.
Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Schools, addressed the Chino Valley Unified school board during public comments. He had about a minute to speak, after he finished & sat down Pres Shaw addressed him, he stood back up & walked back to mic to respond. Then this: pic.twitter.com/Npgx6EhCeF
— InMinivanHell (@inminivanhell) July 21, 2023
The situation in Chino Valley is not an isolated incident, as Governor Gavin Newsom has also intervened in a curriculum decision made by a local school board in Temecula, California. Newsom purchased textbooks with LGBTQ+ curriculum that the district had previously rejected, signaling a potential showdown between state and local authorities over education mandates.
Governor Newsom’s backing of a bill, currently progressing through the state legislature, further strengthens his position. The bill would grant him the authority to fine local school districts for failing to comply with state curriculum mandates, diverting resources from students.
In response to the Chino Valley meeting, Superintendent Thurmond expressed support for the bill, threatening to impose fines on districts that reject state-mandated textbooks, although the textbooks issue was not on the meeting’s agenda.
As the debate over parental notification for gender transitions continues to intensify, both state and local authorities, as well as parents, find themselves at odds with no immediate resolution in sight. The polarizing issue is likely to impact the educational landscape in California for the foreseeable future.
