On May 12, the Santa Ana, California, district school board district held a meeting at which Hispanic parents, concerned that their childr...
On May 12, the Santa Ana, California, district school board district held a meeting at which Hispanic parents, concerned that their children were being taught values that were not in keeping with their own, were reportedly treated with disdain and condescension, while school board members allegedly chastised them for their concern.
As Kira Davis, who attended the meeting, noted at Townhall.com, ”The state Department of Education and many CA school districts have made the new sex ed compliance requirements and ensuing parent review periods intentionally vague and poorly marketed … The ACLU has begun sending out lawyers to school board information meetings on curriculum and very vocally and publicly reminding officials and parents that the time has come to move forward or their schools will face immediate legal action.”
Speaking of the meeting itself, Davis wrote that the district is heavily Hispanic, and many Hispanic parents were confused and upset they had not been apprised of details of the new sex-ed curriculum. Davis pointed out, “California law requires curriculum framework to be provided in English and Spanish to parents for approval. No Spanish curriculum has been made available to parents in that district.”
Davis stated that the board tried to delay any input from the Hispanic parents as long as possible, delaying the meeting by 45 minutes, taking another hour before open comments could be heard, and the board president using other stalling tactics.
Finally, the parents had a chance to speak, some saying that they had been purposefully ignored because it was known they would object to the graphic elements intended for the curriculum as well as the unmonitored discussion of sexuality and gender identity. Davis reported one mother exclaimed, “How can a state that claims to be so much for the rights of immigrants and minorities then ignore our concerns on purpose? They are hypocrites!”
Davis continued:
One mother said she only learned about the school’s “LGBT Fair” after it had happened. She was shocked to learn that a local drag performer had been offering make-up application lessons to the students during the fair and did not feel it was appropriate for any school-approved activity to include make-up lessons for 11-14 year-olds regardless of LGBT issues. She had not even been given the opportunity to opt her child out of such a thing.
Davis said one white woman called the Hispanic crowd “liars” and “fear-mongers.” Davis added that she discovered at least four of the five pro-curriculum commenters did not even live in the Santa Ana district. She also wrote, “One parent told me she watched a board member thank that woman for her comments and exchange phone numbers even as she (the parent) was at the podium delivering her remarks.”
Brad Dacus, a lawyer and president of The Pacific Justice Institute, who was queried later by parents as to what they could do, stated, “They feel like the've been lied to and they just want a chance to be a part of the process.”
Meanwhile, Informed Parents of California (IPOC) announced they will rally on the south steps of the Capitol March 28 at 10 a.m. They issued a statement, part of which is below:
Informed Parents of California (IPOC) will rally on the south steps of the Capitol March 28 at 10 a.m., calling for the rejection of the State Board of Education’s Proposed Health Education Framework and a reversal of mandates for comprehensive sexuality education and teaching gender fluid theory as young as pre-kindergarten. The grassroots organization says thousands are expected to attend.“California’s implementation of the California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329) is a model for organizations that push comprehensive sex education nationwide and they intend to use this agenda to promote social change. They are using our kids and our tax dollars to undermine families, parental authority, cultural values and the very principles this nation was founded upon,” says IPOC Spokesperson Aileen Blachowski. “California parents will not tolerate the State’s attempt to use our children as pawns to push their extreme and damaging agenda.” …Informed Parents of California founder Stephanie Yates says, “We are taking our passion for protecting our children to Sacramento to make our voices heard. We will not allow our kids to be sexualized in the classroom. We will not allow our parental rights to be stripped from us. We will not allow our children’s hearts and minds to be stolen and used for political social experiments and radical activist agendas. We will stop at nothing to protect our kids.”