Judge allows controversial Temecula Valley school policies to stand as lawsuit goes to trial
One bans the so-called critical race theory and another forces staff to alert parents if a student asks to identify as transgender
TEMECULA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two controversial policies enacted by the Temecula Valley Unified School District's board of education will be allowed to stand -- at least for now.
A Riverside County superior court judge denied a preliminary injunction being sought by the plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit filed against the school board, although Judge Eric Keen has ruled their lawsuit can proceed toward trial.
"It's a fairly interesting topic," said Keen. "I'm sure it won't end here."
After the hearing concluded, plaintiff's attorney Amanda Mangaser Savage said she would be appealing the court's ruling.
"We obviously disagree with the court's ruling today," she said. "Frankly, it puts Temecula in the same league as Texas and Florida with respect to censorship on ideological grounds."
The lawsuit claims the district's ban on critical race theory, which was approved by the school board's conservative majority, censors teachers and infringes on students' fundamental right to an education. It also claims that the district's policy requiring school staff to notify parents if students identify as transgender is discriminatory, as they allege that it's unconstitutional because it singles out a specific group of students.
Public Counsel, the nonprofit group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of Temecula students, parents, and teachers, claims the policy has been used by school board members to stop teaching "any concepts that conflict with their ideological viewpoints, including the history of the LGBTQ rights movement and the existence of racism in today's society."
But an attorney representing the school board supports the court's ruling.
"There is absolutely no evidence of discrimination, the board members did nothing wrong," said attorney Mariah Gondeiro. "Our position has always been that the district has done nothing wrong.
"They were acting pursuant to the authority and discretion that is afforded to them by law, and it is well established that local school boards have the authority to direct and influence curriculum and that is what they did here."
The ruling differs from a similar case in which a San Bernardino County superior court judge granted a preliminary injunction filed against the Chino Valley Unified School District for their transgender notification policy.
