ROCKLIN, Calif. — Four out of five Rocklin Unified School District board members voted to pass a policy that requires teachers to notify parents when a student asks to identify as a different gender.
The only board member that voted against the policy was Michelle Sutherland. Last year, she was endorsed by the Placer County Democratic Party. She had concerns regarding safety if the policy passed.
"We don't have the supports for students to follow through on this, for students who then are outed. We want to ensure that they're safe," Sutherland said.
While Sutherland expressed her concerns, the board's vice president, Tiffany Saathoff, made it clear where she stood on the issue and said she supports equal rights for all students.
"I will never support harm in a home, harm of a child. Never have, never will. That is not what this policy says," she said.
Saathoff was once a pastor at Destiny Christian Church and is currently chief of staff for Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson.
The board's President, Julie Hupp, didn't have much to say during the meeting but has been criticized for using religion in her position. Member Dereck Counter, endorsed by the Placer County Republican Party, sided with the majority of the board by adding the importance of keeping parents informed.
"All that stuff that happens as you mature through from adolescence into adulthood and going through the schools, that we work those through with the family," said Counter.
Board Member Rachelle Price also voted in favor of this policy and mentioned that there are resources for students like a crisis resolution center and LGBTQ resources to support families.
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