ROCKLIN, Calif. — The California Public Employment Relations Board has filed a formal complaint against the Rocklin Unified School District after the board passed a controversial gender identification policy.
In September, the Rocklin school board passed a policy requiring teachers to notify parents when a student asks to identify as a different gender.
After the policy was passed, the Rocklin Teachers Professional Association filed an unfair practice charge against the school district and asked the state public relations employment board to order the policy be rescinded.
A settlement conference is scheduled for Nov. 16. At the hearing the teacher's association will advocate for the the employment board to have the school district revoke the policy.
“We are confident PERB will agree that this district’s forced outing policy violates the law. California Education Code requires educators to take an oath to support the Constitution and laws of the State of California, and any violation places our teachers’ credentials in jeopardy of being suspended or revoked by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. A local school board does not have the authority to change or violate state laws," said Travis Mougeotte, Rocklin Teachers Professional Association President, in a statement.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been vocal about the policy, which has been passed by other California school districts. He said the policy targets transgender and gender-nonconforming students, adding it bears similarities to forced outing policies in other districts. He adds the policy also requires notification if a student requests to use a facility or participates in a program that doesn't match their sex.
“Despite our ongoing commitment to stand against any actions that target and discriminate against California’s transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, Rocklin Unified has chosen to endanger their civil rights by adopting a policy that forcibly outs them without consideration of their safety and well-being,” said Bonta in a previous statement. “I have said it before and I will say it again: We will not tolerate any policy that perpetuates discrimination, harassment, or exclusion within our educational institutions.”
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