This brutal attack is perpetrated against a background of persistent harassment and discriminatory policies being propagated and enacted by the Chino Valley Unified School District school board.
Over the past year, the CVUSD school board majority, comprised of Sonja Shaw, Andrew Cruz, and James Na, have relentlessly targeted one of their most vulnerable populations, their LGBTQIA+ students, with “forced outing� policies and verbal attacks at school board meetings, where they have characterized the LGBTQIA+ community as “mentally ill� and a “death culture.�
On Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Board introduced a third version of their failed forced outing policy, as well as .
As the Board pursues their agenda of marginalization against LGBTQIA+ children and their families, the environment in Chino Valley schools has become increasingly untenable for these students. Members of the Board have , denying students access to the very adults who can support them in the face of increasing hostility.
The mother of the victim in Friday’s incident provided the following statement to 188ÌåÓý:
“There has been a consistent pattern of harassment of LGBTQIA students in the district that comes from the very top. Despite my repeated reporting of incidents, my family was ignored. Horrifically, the environment they have created has now resulted in an assault on my own child.�
Ayala High Teacher and Gay Straight Alliance club advisor Natalie Cooney stated:
“Even if the school board won’t let us display our pins, we want our students to know they’re safe with us. We have their backs. We need the rest of the world to know what’s happening in Chino so that they can too.�
The forced outing policy was first passed by CVUSD on July 20, 2023. The lawsuit, The People of the State of California, Ex Rel. et al -v- Chino Valley Unified School District (), was introduced by and was . On September 10, 2024, Judge Michael Sachs issued a permanent injunction against the policy.
Kristi Hirst, a former teacher, parent, and co-founder of 188ÌåÓý, commented on the ruling:
It’s embarrassing that this school board chooses to ignore the harm they are causing in the Chino Valley and in communities throughout California in order to pursue a political crusade.
Educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn � and that’s what school boards ought to be focused on.
]]>During a school board meeting on September 19, 2024, Board President Sonja Shaw abruptly cut off Chino Valley educator Natalie Cooney and former student and founder of the Gender Sexuality Alliance club Madison Kaylor from speaking, effectively denying them their right to voice concerns and engage in open dialogue about critical issues affecting public education. Both Cooney and Kaylor were commenting on the harm of a third attempt of the CVUSD Board to pass a “forced outing� policy targeting LGBTQIA+ students.
You can view video feed from the meeting of Natalie Cooney being silenced here:
You can view video feed from the meeting of Madison Kaylor being silenced here:
This disturbing decision not only undermines the democratic principles of free speech but also creates a chilling effect on those who wish to participate in the governance of their schools.
Madison Kaylor posted the following video on Instagram detailing her experience and reading her intended comments for the September 19, 2024, meeting here:
The First Amendment guarantees all individuals the right to express their views freely, especially in public forums. Educators and students play a crucial role in shaping the educational environment, and their voices are essential in discussions about policies and school safety.
Ayala High School parent Jessica Santana was in attendance at the meeting and witnessed the speech censorship: "Last week's school board meeting was a reminder that’s it’s never been about protecting kids: it has always been about silencing queer kids and anyone in support. Ms Shaw clearly knows the harm she is causing and that is why she quickly cut the mics of a teacher and student who were there to speak about the harm her forced outing policy is causing. I was proud to see the young student speaker remain calm, focused and collected. Ms. Shaw can learn from her."
Furthermore, the Brown Act, which governs open meetings in California, mandates that public bodies conduct their meetings in a manner that encourages public participation. By restricting the ability of teachers and students to speak, the Chino Valley Unified School District Board may be in violation of this important legislation, which aims to ensure transparency and accountability in government.
"We are deeply concerned about the Board's decision to silence those who are most affected by its policies," said Christina Gagnier, Chief Executive Officer of 188ÌåÓý. "This blatant disregard for the rights of teachers and students not only threatens the integrity of our educational system but also sets a dangerous precedent for public discourse.
Community members, educators, and advocates are urged to stand together to demand respect for the First Amendment rights of all individuals and to call for adherence to the Brown Act.
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188ÌåÓý and more than 350 national, state, and local LGBTQ, civil rights groups, and public figures released today calling for the immediate removal of Walters and investigate what “policies and actionsâ€� in the Oklahoma Department of Education have led to this point. In 2022, Oklahoma passed a bathroom bill and a ban on trans students from participating in school sports.
Rainbow Youth Project USA, who hosts a national crisis hotline for LGBTQIA+ people in need, reported that of 987 crisis contacts that have been made from Oklahoma, 894 had been received since Nex Benedict’s death made national news on February 16, 2024.
Oklahoma is not unique as the same dynamic played out in California following the passage of a forced outing policy by the Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in July 2023. 188ÌåÓý and the Rainbow Youth Project USA partnered and launched a dedicated crisis hotline that , and according to , prevented at least one suicide. CVUSD Board President Sonja Shaw, who spearheaded the forced outing policy and joined Walters on a Family Research Council panel in September 2023, described the hotline as “dangerous.â€�
Both Lance Preston, the executive director of the Rainbow Youth Project, and 188ÌåÓý’s Kristi Hirst, .
Shaw, when interviewed by CBS News for a documentary that has since been nominated for a and confronted with the harm she was causing, replied using language commonly associated with and Washington, DC. “Whoever is telling them that is wrong and they’re not getting them the right kind of help,� she said. .
The New Republic, reporting on the forced outing being pushed across the country, ended with a scathing conclusion that fits neatly into the denials issued by Walters and Shaw: �The people helping support youth, rather than the “concerned parents� harassing them, are being cast as the danger.�
Like Walters, Shaw has doubled down on her crusades and went further by adopting a book banning and classroom censorship policy in November 2023. While Shaw presented both forced outing and book banning polices as her own, and according to the LA Times, “denies collaborating with [Southern California Megachurch Pastor Jack] Hibbs on parental notification or other policies.� Since then it’s become known that , a Tennessee-based religious homeschooling fanatic and “dear friend� of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills Megachurch Pastor Jack Hibbs, authored both Chino’s that is currently under a court order and the and classroom censorship policy. England, and Hibbs� top staffer, Gina Gleason, can be in a school board meeting as a Chino teacher spoke out against banning books and censoring classrooms.
Both England and Gleason are found on the most recently published membership list of the secretive (CNP), along with Christian homeschooling zealot , TPUSA’s Charlie Kirk, and the Bradley Foundation � itself a funder of one of the law firms defending Chino’s forced outing policy in court, the Liberty Justice Center � and Leonard Leo, �
CNP, which was created by and is deeply intertwined with the Heritage Foundation, are the entities behind “Project 2025,� an alarming conservative policy wish list to be implemented should President Biden lose re-election that includes a national forced outing policy as well as a number of policy proposals that would fundamentally alter the rights and freedoms currently available to American citizens.
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]]>Greene’s sympathies towards nonviolent political protests are curious as she has “� the January 6th attack on the Capitol, describes the insurrection as �,� has said it “� if she had been in charge, holding January 6th “� and has made �.�
“Educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn,â€� said parent, former teacher and 188ÌåÓý co-founder Kristi Hirst. “This policy breaks down trust between our most vulnerable students and their teachers, and in the wake of Nex Benedict’s murder, make Temecula schools a hostile environment for students that extremists in Temecula and across the country don’t want to believe exist.â€�
When a similar forced outing policy was passed by the Chino Valley Unified School District in July 2023, the reported that hundreds of scared students contacted a hotline set up by the Rainbow Youth Project USA and 188ÌåÓý (â€�648 crisis calls since August from California LGBTQ+ students,â€� LA Blade, ). The hotline can be reached at 866-975-8870.
According to , there have been a significant spike in contacts from Oklahoma since the murder of Nex Benedict was made public early last week.
Judge Keen, ruling days later, declined to see this connection to current events, “does not expressly single out transgender or gender-nonconforming students, as it applies to any student’s request to change their school official or unofficial records.�
A number of Temecula parents, confused by Judge Keen’s ruling, have reached out to 188ÌåÓý for clarifications.
Founded in February 2023, 188ÌåÓý is a grassroots non-profit that has grown to have chapters and partnerships with public school advocates in thirty states. Our efforts have been covered by the , , , , , , , , , , and more. Get more information at .
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]]>“Maliha Williamson knows that educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn,â€� said Christina Gagnier, a former school board member and co-founder of 188ÌåÓý. “Extremists putting their own personal political crusades ahead of educating our children have no place making decisions on our school boards or anywhere else.â€�
"I am honored to have been endorsed by 188ÌåÓý,â€� said Maliha Williamson. “Our public education, our educators who support a diverse curriculum, and our children â€� especially those from underrepresented communities â€� are under attack. We need to denounce the dangerous rhetoric going around and put the focus back on offering quality education and work on creating a safe environment for our students and our staff."
Founded in February 2023, 188ÌåÓý is a grassroots non-profit that has grown to have chapters and partnerships with public school advocates in thirty states. Last November, 188ÌåÓý supported eighteen winning school board candidates in Pennsylvania. Our efforts have been covered by the , , , , , , , , , , and more. Get more information at .
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“A leader with three decades of teaching experience in public schools, Nancy Watkins knows that educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn,â€� said Christina Gagnier, a former school board member and co-founder of 188ÌåÓý. “Extremists putting their own personal political crusades ahead of educating our children have no place making decisions on our school boards or anywhere else.â€�
“Education needs allies,â€� said Dr. Nancy Watkins. “I am proud to have the support of 188ÌåÓý.â€�
]]>“Telly Tse knows that educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn,â€� said Christina Gagnier, a former school board member and co-founder of 188ÌåÓý. “A leader in the classroom, on the field and in his community, Telly is the advocate that Glendale students need on their school board. Extremists putting their own personal political crusades ahead of educating our children have no place making decisions on our school boards or anywhere else.â€�
“I am proud to be endorsed by 188ÌåÓý,â€� said Telly Tse. “More than ever, we need school board members who will stand up for our children, support our educators, and defend our democracy. As a public school teacher, parent, labor leader, and coach in my community, I will bring to the Glendale School Board a unique skill set and perspective that allow me to serve our schools from day one.
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â€�188ÌåÓý supports candidates who know educating children works best with engaged parents and caring teachers working together to create a safe space for all children to learn,â€� said Christina Gagnier, a former school board member and co-founder of 188ÌåÓý. “We’re so happy so many school districts chose public servants over extremists running on policies known to harm students last November, and we’ll be working to help our endorsed candidates do the same thing in 2024. Extremists putting their own personal political crusades ahead of educating our children have no place making decisions on our school boards or anywhere else.â€�
188ÌåÓý supported eighteen winning school board candidates in Pennsylvania last November, and both Laura Foster and Adrienne King of the Ridge Network appeared on 188ÌåÓý’s Head of the Class podcast (Episode 10: “Grifters and Driftersâ€�) to talk about the and their organizing efforts in Pennridge. Their efforts resulted in winning five seats and flipping a school board that had been taken over by who hired a to .
Founded in February 2023, 188ÌåÓý is a grassroots non-profit that has grown to have chapters and partnerships with public school advocates in thirty states. Our efforts have been covered by the , , , , , , , , , , and more. Get more information at .
]]>When Sonja Shaw ran for school board in Chino Valley in the southern California suburbs, she pledged her support to Moms for Liberty, a Christian right group that wants “parental rights� to trump LGBTQ students� rights. When the Los Angeles Times this week profiled Shaw, now the school board president, her political adviser described her as waging “a spiritual battle� against her opponents. When Shaw recently wanted to scold an opponent who questioned her proposed policy to out trans students without their consent, she accused him of supporting “things that pervert children.�
The seemingly rapid rise of these so-called “parental rights� policies across the United States, mandating that educators and school counselors report to parents any students using pronouns different to what their parents have provided, is in fact quite perfectly summed up in Shaw and how Shaw’s story has been told. She may have successfully sold herself as a “soccer mom,� as the Times headline ran, but the consequences of Shaw’s actions for trans students� health and safety are clear: As one trans student in Chino Valley said recently to Vice, “I’m so afraid that I’m gonna wake up tomorrow, or the next day or the day after that, and I’m gonna find out that one of my friends isn’t here anymore.�
While the Times story focused on the question of whether Shaw is a “true believer� or merely cunning, her impact isn’t in doubt. Shaw is, whether she claims it or not, in sync with a much larger national effort to rebrand the forced outing of trans kids as “parental rights.� And this effort has the weight of major conservative think tanks behind it. Nearly 90 bills forcing teachers to monitor students� gender expression—including dress, pronouns, and names—and report trans and gender-nonconforming students to parents were introduced in state legislatures across the country in 2022, according to PEN America’s Index of Educational Intimidation Bills. Five states have adopted these polices into law: North Dakota, Iowa, Alabama, North Carolina, and Indiana. What we are seeing in places like Chino Valley reflects a coordinated national plan, pushing laws and policies that would penalize educators who don’t go along � inverting their roles as mandatory reporters and as potential resources for students facing harassment, neglect, and abuse at home.
No one can know the exact motivations of the individuals proposing these policies, or the think tanks drafting and promoting them. They may be doing this to build power for the Christian right, and for Christian nationalist efforts especially. They may be doing this out of an obsession with controlling children as if they are mere extensions of their parents. But together, the individuals and organizations promoting these policies are doing both, hoping to pass as concerned parents who just want to protect children.
To that end, some conservative supporters of the forced outing bills and policies have attempted to position their cause as something that transcends partisan politics, denying that it has anything to do with mandating a certain way to protect children. That was the play in Virginia, in support of a forced outing bill that was introduced in February. The face of the bill was Michele Blair, most often identified as the grandmother and guardian of a child assigned as female at birth, who she calls Sage, who has also gone by another name, Draco, and used he/him pronouns. Blair’s story, as it has been related in conservative outlets like The Federalist and The Daily Wire, can read as both harrowing and sensationalizing. What Blair says is that her grandchild’s school in Appomattox County withheld from her information that her grandchild had come out in school as trans. Blair also says her grandchild was sex trafficked, and appears to believe that this never would have happened if the school had informed her that her grandchild was trans. Appomattox County Public Schools has said in a statement that the “claim that this particular individual was unaware of her child’s gender identity expression at school, and that school staff did not communicate with her regarding that, is simply not correct,� noting that their ability to respond to “allegations pertaining to any particular child is limited due to privacy laws.�
Promoting the bill named for her grandchild, Blair has said, “I am not here to tell you how to raise your kids—I’m here to tell you we should not be placing adult decisions on children, especially not behind a parent’s back.� She also claimed that children are now growing up in “a world where sex traffickers are lurking on every cellphone just waiting to trick your child into their sick game, and that “[we] must save our children before it’s too late,� neatly combining two moral panics.
When Blair’s bill was debated this session, some of its opposition took the proposition of protecting children seriously. One Democrat on the state Senate’s Education Committee said that while he supported parents� involvement in their children’s education, he feared this bill would mean students would not turn to teachers as confidants, no longer able to “speak with a teacher and not have to worry about getting put on blast.� He also noted that the bill resembled a mandatory reporting policy—such as educators already have for instances of suspected abuse—but a mandatory reporting policy that could potentially prevent students who needed support from seeking it. Perhaps this is exactly the point: Imagine a trans student who had faced abuse from a parent after trying to come out to them, who then tried to turn to a teacher or school counselor for help.
Delegate Danica Roem, the first openly transgender member of the Virginia state legislature (and who was elected to the state Senate in November), tried during debate on the bill to press its sponsor, Delegate David LaRock, on the very real possibility of abuse and abandonment of trans children by their parents. Roem asked whether there were any limitations in the bill to protect students from being outed to abusive families. “We are dealing with dire consequences on a bill as reckless as this: forcibly outing kids regardless of the safety of their home, regardless of what’s going to happen to them when they get home,� Roem said. LaRock responded that there were “many, many other considerations that should take precedence over a child’s feelings that maybe their parent wouldn’t like that decision.�
Far from being meant to protect students, as trans students and other opponents of the forced outing policy argued, such a policy can be used as a weapon for the school district and for parents to get children to “conform� (under duress) to their gender as assigned at birth. Rob Bonta, the California attorney general, has challenged the policy in the Chino Valley school district in court. In his complaint, filed in August, Bonta stated that transgender and gender-nonconforming students “are in real fear that the District’s policy will force them to make a choice: either ‘walk back� their constitutionally and statutorily protected rights to gender identity and gender expression, or face the risk of emotional, physical, and psychological harm from non-affirming or unaccepting parents or guardians.� (In September, a state judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the policy, also citing possible harm to trans children from parents or guardians.)
California, like Virginia, saw a forced outing bill fail when it was introduced in the state legislature. That’s what inspired the Chino Valley school board president, Sonja Shaw, to adopt a version of the bill in her school district. When the state attorney general challenged the policy, the school district turned to the Liberty Justice Center to represent them. The Liberty Justice Center is the law project of the conservative think tank Illinois Policy Institute, with significant funding from the Republican megadonor Richard Uihelein (who is perhaps better known for giving millions of dollars to multiple groups working to overturn the 2020 election). Shaw has encouraged other school districts to pass forced outing policies, saying the Liberty Justice Center would represent them if they were challenged.
Support for these policies is coming from other major conservative groups. A model national version of forced outing policy, the “Given Name Act,� has been drafted by the Heritage Foundation, the hard-right Washington think tank. Elements of the model forced outing policy feature in a Heritage-led agenda, Project 2025 � their presidential transition plan for the next conservative president. Project 2025 is “systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army � aligned, trained, and essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle against the deep state,� project director Paul Dans has said.
Project 2025’s Education directives include statements such as: “Federal lawmakers should not allow public school employees to keep secrets about a child from that child’s parents.� The model policy includes two provisions that forbid school employees from using any name “other than the name listed on a student’s birth certificate� or a pronoun that is “different from that student’s biological sex � without the written permission of a student’s parents or guardians.�
In response to the forced outing policies adopted by Chino Valley schools and others in southern California, Rainbow Youth Project USA and 188ÌåÓý have launched a support phone line for students. Last week, the Los Angeles Blade reported that since launching on August 5, the support line has received 648 crisis calls—from students, parents, and school staff members—in its nearly four months of service. The hotline links students with a case management team from the Rainbow Youth Project, reported Vice, “trained specifically to understand the new policy and its implications.â€�
Shaw told Vice the hotline was “dangerous.� And that encapsulates the sleight of hand this forced outing campaign has accomplished: The people helping support youth, rather than the “concerned parents� harassing them, are being cast as the danger.
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