ROCKLIN, Calif. — Students and parents are coping with the aftermath of a gender identification policy passed by the Rocklin Unified School District school board.
The policy requires teachers to notify parents when a student asks to identify as a different gender. Teachers unions said the issue is far from over, vowing to do everything in their power to do away with the policy.
Most parents ABC10 spoke with Thursday didn’t know the board even voted on the policy and teacher associations said they believe the move is a political one that will only harm students. They’re now working to take legal action.
"This policy is dangerous to children. It's not about informing the parents about their child's identity; it's about putting children in a precarious place where they (could) possibly and most likely be harmed,” said Rocklin High School senior Rivers Apodaca.
The California Teachers Association and the Rocklin Teachers Professional Association are banding together to fight the policy.
“On behalf of the Rocklin teachers we’ll be filing charges with the Public Employment Relations Board. It's an unfair labor practice. They can't do what they do. They've changed the working conditions of the teachers in Rocklin without going through the proper procedures,” said Mike Patterson, board member with the California Teachers Association.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also sent an email to the school board members saying, “Disclosing that a student is transgender without the student's permission may violate California's antidiscrimination law by increasing the student's vulnerability to harassment.”
Meanwhile, a Rocklin Unified school spokesman sent ABC10 this statement:
“The Rocklin Unified School District is aware of the remarks made by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. The Board’s actions were taken after extensive consultation with the District’s legal counsel and are legally defensible based on current law. The school district is currently formalizing implementation and training plans regarding the revision."
Rocklin teacher Colleen Crowe said she’s having trouble understanding why the board would approve the policy. She believes they’re being asked to do something that violates California law and feels the board is making extreme decisions.
"Really, we're going to have to replace this school board. This particular school board doesn't seem to care about the voice of the community — only the voice of a few and most of those few don't even have kids in our schools,” said Crowe.
The California Teachers Association met Thursday afternoon with other associations to discuss next steps with all the teachers union leaders in Placer County because they fear the policy is coming to places like Roseville and Auburn next.
Rob Hasty, spokesperson for Roseville Joint Union High School District, said he couldn't speak to Rocklin's policy, but said there was nothing on their agenda for their Sept. 14 meeting.
"As a district, our staff and school board keep well informed about topics like parental notification. We will continue to monitor the issue over the coming days, weeks and months so our school board can make the best possible decisions for the students, parents and families they represent in the Roseville community," said Hasty. "We know this is a very emotionally charged issue with serious ramifications. As of right now, there is nothing on our agenda for our meeting on the 14th of September. Again, we will continue to monitor the topic and make sure we are very well educated on the topic.
