California DOJ to investigate school district’s policy of outing transgender students

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO FORCED OUTING POLICY

Last month, the Chino Valley Unified School District board voted to enact a policy of forced outing of transgender students to their parents. Now, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is investigating.

In a statement, Bonta said that students should never be afraid to attend school while being who they are.

“Chino Valley Unified’s forced outing policy threatens the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students vulnerable to harassment and potential abuse from peers and family members unaccepting of their gender identity,” Bonta said in a statement.

Bonta had previously sent a letter to the board, urging them to vote down this proposal.

Under the policy, teachers and other Chino Valley Unified staff are required to inform a student’s parents if that student requests to go by a different name or pronouns, or if that student uses bathrooms or joins school programs (such as sports) that don’t align with their sex on official records. The policy makes no exception for the physical safety or mental well being of the student.

Surveys show few transgender youths view their home as a safe, gender-affirming place, and transgender students are more likely than their peers to be victims of physical, psychological or sexual abuse.

The school board’s vote came in defiance of California Department of Education policy, which calls for teachers and other school staff to protect the privacy of transgender students who may not be out at home.

STEINBERG ENDORSES A SECOND AD-6 CANDIDATE

A day after Assembly District 6 candidate Paula Villescaz announced an endorsement from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, a second candidate came forward with an endorsement from the outgoing mayor: Sacramento Municipal Utility District Vice President Rosanna Herber.

“I’ve known Rosanna for decades and she’s an experienced leader who knows how to get things done. She will be a champion for Sacramento in climate change, housing and mental health,” Steinberg said in a statement provided to The Bee.

Herber was the first openly gay person to serve on the SMUD Board.

Another prominent Sacramento-area Democrat, State Sen. Angelique Ashby, also has endorsed Herber, saying in a statement that “Rosanna is an experienced leader who will hit the ground running. Her work on SMUD has helped create jobs while being a leader on climate change.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Leaving an open invitation for an ice cream scoop off against the guy from Florida. Hannity can judge. To be clear I did not learn these skills as a benefit resulting from my ancestors enslavement.”

- Assembly Majority Leader Isaac G. Bryan, D-Los Angeles, with a unique challenge for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, via Twitter.

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