Two days after the Murrieta school district was ordered to not enforce its policy that requires staff to out trans students to their parents, district staff sent parents and students a letter saying they hope it will not be enforced.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the letters sent to district parents and students did not mean the policy had been rescinded.
Two days after the Murrieta school district was ordered to not enforce its policy that requires staff to out trans students to their parents, district staff sent parents and students a letter saying they hope it will not be enforced.
But staff didn’t mention that the district’s board of education, which is scheduled to discuss rescinding the policy at its April 18 meeting, is the only body that can rescind the policy.
The California Department of Education sent the Murrieta Valley Unified School District a letter on Wednesday that gave the district five days to tell staff and students that the policy would not be implemented.
On Friday, the Murrieta Valley USD Administrative Team sent two emails (one to staff at 4:18 p.m. and one to parents and guardians at 4:39 p.m.) telling them that the policy may not be implemented.
The state education department sent its letter to the district after two teachers, Karen Poznanski and Jamie Goebel, filed a discrimination complaint against the district with the department.
Poznanski told the school board on March 14 that she and Goebel had filed the complaint.
Poznanski posted her thoughts on social media Friday.
“Dear Murrieta Students,
You can sleep well tonight knowing you are SAFE. You have so many adults in this district who love you for who you are authentically. Never change that! You are SEEN. You are HEARD. And above all else, you are LOVED!
Love,
A mom, ally, and friend”
The policy, which was approved in August, required school employees to notify parents and guardians, within three days, if a student requests to be identified or treated as a gender other than the one listed on their birth certificate or other official records.
Last month, Superintendent Ward Andrus suggested rescinding the policy, but the board voted 3-2 to keep it.
The state education department’s letter to the district said that the policy violates anti-discrimination laws by requiring school officials to single out transgender students.
“To further clarify, the policy mandates that sensitive often private information, which is unique to a class of students with protected characteristics, must be disclosed by school administrators even if the student does not consent to the parent disclosure,” according to the letter.
“This policy circumvents a student’s determination of when and where to share private personal information regarding gender identification and expression and it is required to be divulged without regard for the nuances of the relationship between the student and parent,” according to the letter.
