Community members of the Desert Sands Unified School District (DSUSD), in La Quinta, CA., attended the May 2 school board meeting to urge the board to adopt the parental rights language of failed Assembly Bill (AB) 1314. The bill would have required schools to notify parents within days of (if) discovering a student was having gender issues (mental health). Current board policy on “transgender” issues, which has drawn scrutiny in the past, is to keep “gender identification” secret from the parents, if a child should so request.
The Speakers
The first public comment was from Shelley Mast and was read into the record by a board member. Mast stated that the district website proclaims that “parents have a right to participate in their child’s education, and are encouraged to do so.” Mast emphasized that the parents are the “ultimate protector” of the child and urged the board to adopt the language of AB 1314.
America Figueroa also urged the board to adopt the language of AB 1314. Figueroa drew attention to the fact that the school district’s suicide prevention page on it’s website links to the organization 988. Figueroa reported that 988 gives students 11 different genders to choose from in it’s initial contact survey. The survey includes the option of writing in their own gender. America also criticized that district employees were doing harm to children when forced to accept genders not based in reality.
Janet Spivey gave recognition to, and reiterated her friend, America, in urging the board to adopt AB 1314 language. Spivey informed the board that she had worked for the district, in purchasing, until she retired in 2008. Janet had taken the time to review the proposed sex education material and reacted with a “my goodness how its changed.” Spivey admitted she was “a little embarrassed by the language and graphics” that were present in the material.
Chris Stevens explained to the board that is a child care worker for foster kids that “can’t be fostered out,” and was bringing his experience to bear in support of AB 1314 language adoption. Stevens stated that foster care workers were violating their tenants “when [there are] secrets between a parent and a child and when they are forced to lie.” Stevens pointed out that it was illogical to assume that every parent would beat their child if it was discovered there was a gender mental illness.
It really speaks volumes that the next speaker, John Parker, refused to speak his prepared remarks. This was due to the fact so many children were present and his remarks were unsuitable for that audience. Instead, Parker took the opportunity to speak directly to the children about Climate Change. Parker urged the kids to question what they were being taught. Parker explained that Climate Change was a “redistribution of wealth scheme.”
The final speaker was Mindi, from desertschoolchoice.com. Mindi, also concerned about children being present for the remarks she had prepared, advised parents to exercise discretion. There was a short pause as parents cleared most children from the board room. Mindi spoke to what various parents and teachers had told her over the past four years. One parent had found homework “exploring inappropriate sex acts… without my consent.” Another parent said “my child was questioned about gender,” which made the child “dreadfully uncomfortable.” Mindi urged the board to adopt AB 1314 language stating that the current policy to “never disclose transgender status… is repulsive.”
And so it goes
The board meeting continued with the agenda, without comment to the speakers, per board policy. The entire meeting is view-able here.