The Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board (MVUSD) of Education last week rescinded its controversial parental notification policy on a 3-2 vote, with Trustee Nicolas Pardue and Trustee Julie Vandegrift voting against.
“I know that these parental rights will hold up in court,” Pardue said. “There is nothing illegal about a parental notification, because you have a constitutional right to raise your children according to your customs and values, period, end of sentence.”
The item was brought to the board as a result of AB 1955, which directly addresses policies like the one passed by MVUSD last August that require district personnel to notify parents if a child comes out at school as transgender or nonbinary. However, the policy was never implemented.
“It’s unfortunate that we have a state that wants to control our schools and everything that happens here,” Pardue said. “For those of you who don’t know, AB 1955 was passed almost directly at our school district and others who try to communicate with parents what’s happening with their students on campuses.”
The majority of those who spoke about the policy during the meeting’s public comment period did so in favor of keeping the policy intact, arguing that rescinding it would infringe upon the rights of parents.
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“In my opinion, certain board members are either sympathetic to relinquishing our children to the state or feel that it isn’t worth fighting for,” John Leonard said. “I remind the board members that, by virtue of their oath of office, they have but one duty to protect our rights.”
Those who spoke in favor of rescinding the policy, highlighted the impact policies like this can have on the LGBTQ+ community and what they felt was the intent of AB 1955.
“We’ve got all this coded rhetoric about well-being and secrets and, at the end of the day, it’s just bad faith gaslighting,” Jeremy Murphy, a dad to three students in the district, said. “If you look at AB 1955, it simply highlights the importance of a pupil’s consent, of a student’s consent.”
Ahead of the meeting, the district provided a community notification of the board’s discussion, stating that the item was put on the agenda as a direct result of AB 1955 and “other recent legal decisions,” in the state.
“The District remains steadfast in its efforts to include parents as a vital part of the team assembled to ensure that all students receive a safe, high-quality education,” the notification said.
A full recording of the Oct. 10 meeting can be found here on the district’s YouTube channel.
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