Temecula Valley school board hosts special meeting on curriculum amid fight with Newsom

TEMECULA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Temecula Valley school board is hosting a special meeting on curriculum Friday amid a fight with the state over its textbooks.

According to a statement issued by President Dr. Joseph Komrosky, the meeting will focus on "the potential adoption of curriculum that meets all state and federal mandates."

The meeting comes just days after the board voted for a second time to block social studies curriculum that mentioned gay rights leader Harvey Milk.

The issue first blew up at a meeting last month, when the school board majority questioned whether Milk, who was the first openly gay man to hold public office in the state of California, should be included in supplemental materials when teaching civil rights to 4th grade students.

Their concern revolves around reports that Milk, when in his 30s, had a relationship with a 16-year-old boy.

"Instead of pushing filth on children, instead of pushing Harvey Milk on kids, give them the sincere milk of the word of God!" said activist John Amanchukwu during a recent meeting.

Governor Gavin Newsom has weighed in multiple times on the issue and announced he will be sending the school district social studies textbooks that meet the state's requirements. He also said he would be sending the district a bill for the books, along with a $1.5 million fine.

"What we're hearing from our governor is, 'I don't care what the local people want. I'm going to step in and do what I want,'" said Pastor Tim Thompson of the Church Temecula Valley. "That is called tyranny."

Komrosky pushed back at Newsom at a board meeting earlier this week, saying he's "already instructed the superintendent that if books arrive at shipping and receiving to say, 'No.'"

"We'll ship them right back," he said.

The Temecula Valley school district is far from the only one embroiled in culture wars.

On Thursday night, the Chino Valley school board approved a policy that would mandate teachers to tell parents if their child identifies as transgender.

"Outing trans kids before they are ready is one of the most dangerous things anyone can do," said a speaker during Thursday's meeting.

Many others shared the same sentiment.

"School is the only safe space some of these students have, and only about 35% of trans students feel safe at home," said one woman. "So taking away that space will only cause harm to those students."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also spoke out against the policy before he was escorted out of the meeting when he tried to speak longer than his one-minute time allotment.

"You're in Sacramento, proposing things that pervert children!" Chino Valley School Board President Sonja Shaw told Thurmond.

Eyewitness News will continue to update this article following Friday's meeting.