Teachers’ Union files complaint against CA school district over transgender policy.
Chino Valley Unified Teachers’ Union Files Employment Complaint Against District
The Chino Valley Unified’s teachers’ union has taken action against the district after it implemented two controversial policies over the summer. One of these policies requires teachers to notify parents when their child identifies as transgender. The union, known as Associated Chino Teachers, filed a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board on August 8. They claim that the district violated their contract by failing to negotiate with them before implementing these policies.
The desired outcome of the complaint has not been disclosed by the union at this time.
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In July, the board approved a policy that requires schools to inform parents in writing within three days if their child identifies as transgender, is involved in violence, or expresses thoughts of suicide. This decision followed another policy passed by the board a month earlier, which restricted the display of flags in classrooms to only the U.S. and California flags.
The union’s complaint also argues that the flag policy infringes upon speech protected under their contract.
Brenda Walker, the president of the union, expressed concern that the board’s actions are causing division within the community. In a press release, she stated, ”Unfortunately, our board is creating headlines by focusing on things that don’t benefit students and that divide our community. We are working to have [the board] rescind these harmful and divisive policies and to join us instead in focusing on things our union is fighting for, such as better support systems for special education students and recruiting and retaining quality educators for our community.”
Walker also suggested that the board’s “extreme views” may deter potential new teachers from joining the district.
The union’s complaint comes after they sent an email to their members expressing concerns that the new board policy could school district over transgender policy.”>violate state student privacy laws. The email referenced guidance from the California Department of Education, which emphasizes the importance of protecting student privacy rights, particularly for transgender students.
The email instructed members to seek guidance from administrators if they encounter situations that may violate student privacy and provided an email template for communication.
Furthermore, the email mentioned a letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who advised against implementing the policy based on the same state education department guidance. In August, Bonta announced a civil rights investigation into the school district to determine if the policy violates state privacy laws.
Sonja Shaw, the board president who introduced the controversial policy, believes that schools should not withhold information from parents “in any context.” She criticized state officials for overstepping boundaries and viewed Bonta’s investigation as an attempt to discourage other boards in California from adopting similar policies.
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